This family has become increasingly concerned for their three-year-old’s health while living in an overcrowded flat with mould and damp
Standing over the family’s belongings—now stuffed into bin bags—Abdulla says, “I don’t care about myself anymore, I just want my son to be okay,” adding, “he’s been to the hospital 25 times this year, I just want to get out of here for his sake, not mine.”
Despite countless hospital visits, Abdula Hamade still has no clear explanation for his young son’s breathing difficulties. Doctors have said he is too young to receive a diagnosis for mould-related asthma, but the family believe the constant mould spreading across their walls each day may be to blame.
The flat has three rooms, yet only one is usable for sleeping. Abdula and his partner, Malgorzata Walery, share an air mattress, while their two children—Arez, three, and Nareen, one—sleep on the other. Their home, located in the Woodland Flats estate in central Radford, has technically been deemed overcrowded, as it was originally intended for a single occupant. Although Nottingham City Council has offered them alternative housing, the family say the proposed options were even less suitable than where they are now.
At 41, Abdula spends part of each day wiping away the mould that constantly returns in their combined bedroom and living area. He fears that staying in the flat much longer could cause lasting harm to his children’s health.
“I just worry for my kids, I don’t care about my health,” he says.
He has repeatedly reported the mould to the council. Recently, contractors attempted repairs to the bathroom and boiler, but the work resulted in flooding, ruining many of the family’s belongings. Anything salvageable had to be stuffed into bin liners.
With no space to dry clothes inside, Abdula has attempted to hang washing in the communal corridor, but he claims the council has warned him it could be removed if he continues. Pointing out the plastic covering the floors and the near-empty rooms—bare except for the mattresses the family sleep on—he says, “I just worry for my kids, I don’t care about my health, we wipe it away every day, but now it’s worse after the workers came and the flat was flooded.”
Abdula explained that he would like to work, but after being signed off years ago with a severe back injury, he now depends on strong pain medication and cannot hold a job.
He also described a confusing and distressing experience when seeking help: “They told me they would move me out in three weeks, and said that I can’t be living like this, so I rang the number they gave me when I was in hospital last week with my child, and they asked me how I got their number and to not call again.”
Although the council is aware of the family’s circumstances, Abdula says the support he has received has been minimal, and that he feels repeatedly dismissed by those handling his case.
He is not alone. According to what he has been told by housing staff, he is one of roughly 11,000 people on the Nottingham City Council waiting list. Meanwhile, his concern grows for his children’s wellbeing.
“It just keeps coming back, they came out to ‘fix’ it but all they did is what we do – wipe it away, and it’s everywhere, I’ve had to throw away clothes because of it. I just want to move away from this place, when the contractors come to fix things in the flat, they all say that I shouldn’t be living like this.”
Since October 27, Awaab’s Law has required social landlords across the UK to resolve mould and damp-related structural hazards within seven days of a complaint—rules introduced after the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak from mould exposure in 2020.
In response to the family’s account, a Nottingham City Council spokesperson said:
“We are aware of Mr Hamade’s situation. The family bid on and were offered a two-bed flat in January 2025, which they decided to turn down.
“They then bid on and were offered a two-bed house, which they also turned down. We are now seeking to make the family a direct offer when the next suitable property becomes available.
“We are making arrangements to carry out an urgent investigation into Mr Hamade’s claims of damp and mould in his home so that we can quickly rectify any issues that exist.”
Source: Nottinghamshire Live, December, 2025
