60 Days on the Estates with Ed Stafford

The recent Channel 4 documentary series “60 Days on the Estates” sees Ed Stafford, a filmmaker and former army officer, spend 60 days in the most deprived housing estates in the UK.

The issues he witnessed included armed gang warfare, crime and extreme poverty. However, what hits the headlines less often is the conditions everyday people have to endure. By personally experiencing the daily hardships endured by local residents, Stafford seeks to gain genuine insight into their lives.

He was appalled by the state of the areas, acknowledging on the show: “It’s even worse than I imagined.”

The series features an episode highlighting the issues of living in a house with mould and the devastating impacts that it has on lives. In one episode, we are introduced to a mother, Dionne and her 6 young children who live in a mould-infested council flat. The council were sent a letter from Dionne’s Consultant Paediatrician, advising them to be rehoused due to a child’s death from mould. The council acknowledge receipt of their letter and yet did nothing to solve the mould problem affecting Dionne and her children.

She is one of the many people that Ed Stafford meets in the first episode of a heart-breaking three-part series where he investigates what life is really like on some of the UK’s most troubled housing estates. Sadly, this series highlights the very real struggles of everyday people.

Ed Stafford said: “Before I started filming this series, all I really knew about council estates were stories I read in the media about gangs, crime and drugs. I wanted to go beyond the negative headlines and stereotypes to find out what’s really happening on housing estates today and the challenges people are facing. This series has been a real eye-opener for me.”

This was on the back of the tragic case of Awaab Ishak, which brought attention to the devastating state of housing conditions. In December 2020, Awaab Ishak died from a respiratory condition caused by mould in the one-bedroom housing association flat where he lived with his parents, in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. The case has nationally spread awareness of the dangers of mould in the home.

At Anthony Gold we deal with clients like these on a regular basis. Lawyer Samantha Lewis works in the Housing Department, and she advises and represents tenants in mould-induced asthma and housing disrepair claims. She has become an expert in assisting people who have developed respiratory issues caused by poor housing conditions. She has experience working on individual and group action claims on the subject.

Samantha says ‘Unfortunately cases like Dionne’s are not uncommon. She has done the right thing by reporting housing defects and health conditions to her landlord and engaging with medical practitioners, however her landlord has failed her and her children. Client’s often come to me with letters written by medical practitioners, schools and social services all asking the landlord to rehouse my client’s family due to dangerous housing conditions having a detrimental, and in some cases potentially fatal, effect on health and wellbeing; all too often landlords do not take heed of these warnings. This causes an undue burden on other public bodies, tenants to live in fear in their own home and affects children’s abilities to attend school and engage in physical activities. Asthma is a chronic condition that can have a negative impact on all aspects of life from sleeping to walking to the shop to buy a pint of milk, it’s unacceptable that some tenants suffer from avoidable asthma due to their landlord’s indifference. All tenants have the right to live in a home where it is safe to breathe and I am committed to helping my clients fight for this basic right.’

If you or someone you know are living in poor social housing conditions, then we may be able to assist. Please get in contact with our firm, call or email us. We’ll let you know the best person to help you get started.

Call or Email: 020 7940 4060 – mail@anthonygold.co.uk