Summer Healthy Homes
14 May 2024
Communicating with our customers all year round is key to tackling and preventing damp, mould, and condensation in our homes.
It is tempting to think that the number of instances of damp, mould and condensation will fall away as winter turns into spring and summer and cold wet weather is hopefully, replaced by sunny, drier days, at least perhaps until the autumn. The instances may be fewer, but the reality is that damp and mould can occur at any time of the year.
The new Consumer Standards and the proposed introduction of Awaab’s Law make it essential for housing associations to be proactive in tackling damp and mould head on. Happily, there is much that landlords can do to ensure they keep residents informed and offer advice about how to prevent the occurrence of damp and mould – all year round. And of course, we must be absolutely on top of our game in terms of understanding our homes, being proactive and responding to instances in a timely way appropriate to the specific circumstances of those whose home is affected.
At South Lakes Housing, we are tackling damp and mould in many ways. We have a clear strategic objective of ‘greening’ not just to help address climate change but specifically to provide homes that are affordable to heat, which is now more important than ever as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite hard.
We are making significant improvements to the energy efficiency of our ageing stock and with our principal delivery partner, Dyson Energy Services, have successfully delivered the first of a 2-year retrofit programme with the help of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund – putting us well on course to ensure all of our homes are rated EPC ‘C’ or above by April 2025. This is helping affordability by keeping homes warmer and reducing the likelihood of damp and mould.
As we raise awareness about damp and mould amongst our customers, colleagues and contractors, regular safety inspections, site visits and follow up checks after damp and work has been carried out are making an impact.
The PlaceShapers Healthy Homes toolkit is full of valuable resources based on resident insight on how best to communicate with them. We have been using the toolkit since its launch to tap into good practice and lessons shared through the network.
We regularly share the informative tips and videos across our social media, website, and internal platforms. We have tailored the videos and infographics to our organisation, so our customers, colleagues and partners all know how we are tackling damp, mould, and condensation in our homes. It is reassuring to be part of a national focus, knowing that PlaceShapers have designed the toolkit with input from customers, members and the Housing Ombudsman as well as incorporating expert advice energy-efficiency advice from the Energy Saving Trust.
The response from our customers and colleagues has been very positive, with many customers adopting the ‘Healthy Homes hints and tips’ and contacting us directly if they spot any signs of damp and mould. I am delighted that the updated Healthy Homes toolkit now has much more seasonal content that can be tailored to more PlaceShaper members and be used more widely throughout the year.
Let’s hope the summer brings the sunshine we all hope for!
Just email info@placeshapers.org if you need a password for the members' resource library.
