Castle Acre Woman Pleads to Be Rehoused Over Damp and Mould Concerns
A Castle Acre woman says ongoing damp and mould problems in her home are affecting her health — and is calling on her housing provider to rehouse her.
Lizzie Johnson, 53, moved into a Freebridge Community Housing property on Foxes Meadow in June 2023 with her two dogs and two cats. She claims it took less than a month for signs of damp and mould to appear.
“The first patches showed up on the kitchen ceiling,” she said. “Contractors came and painted over it, but nothing more was done to look into what was causing it.”
Ms Johnson says the problem worsened during the autumn and winter, with further damp appearing in her bathroom and bedroom.
She believes the housing association has not properly investigated the root cause. “They just do little patch-ups,” she said. “I have had to get rid of a lot of my belongings. I only have one bedroom, so everything is wrapped up and can’t be placed near the walls. The whole place smells musty.”
She also claims a section of her bathroom wall was repainted in a mismatched colour during one of the repair visits.
More seriously, Ms Johnson says the condition of the property is now impacting her health. “I’ve had two chest infections and I’m only just getting over one,” she said. “A chest X-ray last year showed a build-up of mucus in my lungs, which isn’t going to get better while I’m living in a damp home.”
She is now pleading with Freebridge to move her to a different property.
In response, a Freebridge Community Housing spokesperson said an independent survey had been carried out at the property last month. “A small area of damp and mould was identified and treated immediately,” they said. “We also shared professional advice with Ms Johnson to help reduce the chances of it returning.”
They added that the property had been assessed as safe to live in, and no further treatment was currently required.
Freebridge also confirmed that repairs to guttering have been scheduled, and that further improvements could be on the way.
“We are investigating Ms Johnson’s home for potential retrofit works to improve its heating provision, energy efficiency, and costs,” the spokesperson said. “An appointment will be made with our specialist contractors to see how we can work with Ms Johnson to improve its efficiency.”
Lynn News, October 2025
