Lewisham mum and son forced out of flat for months due to mould and water damage

By Grainne Cuffe, Local Democracy Reporter

A pregnant mum and her teenage son were forced to stay with friends and family because of severe water damage to her flat.

Jodie McCalla and her 16-year-old son live in a block of flats in Blackheath, run by Lewisham Homes, which manages homes on behalf of the council.  

But a leak above her flat, which started in April 2020, caused severe water damage to her bathroom, kitchen, and son’s bedroom.  

Lewisham Homes said the leak “proved difficult to source and repair”. 

By November 2020, Jodie said the situation was so bad that she and her son had to move out – while he was studying for his GCSEs. 

The former events manager is seven months along in a high risk pregnancy – the 36-year-old suffers from fibroids, the pain of which can mimic contractions and send someone into early labour.  

Jodie said she begged Lewisham Homes for more than a year to repair her flat and make it fit to live in again, but it only started work on August 17 – 16 months after the leak started.  

She said: “It’s been utterly distressing. The home was inhabitable – you couldn’t live in it. 

“I’ve not been in my home my entire pregnancy and it’s also massively affected my son’s mental health. Lewisham Homes is fully aware of that.” 

Jodie and her son have been staying with friends and family. The mum-to-be said she has been offered no temporary accommodation during this time or during the ongoing repair works.

She said: “According to their risk assessment my son and I can share a room inside the property and I can go outside during the daytime while the work is being done. 

“My son is 16 and 6ft2 – I’m 5ft9 and seven months pregnant.

“How are we sharing one room – no 16-year-old wants to share a bed with their mother.” 

Lewisham Homes has promised a new brand new kitchen and bathroom after the long delay.

But the repairs are on hold again, with Jodie told on August 26 that they are not expected to be finished until mid October because of supply shortages.

Jodie, already heavily pregnant, is very worried that she won’t be able to move back into her home before she gives birth.

A spokesman for Lewisham Homes said: “The damage and damp problems in Ms McCalla’s property were caused by a leak which proved difficult to source and repair.  

“However, the issue has now been fixed and we are in process of completing full remedial works to the property. 

“We acknowledge that our delay in getting this matter fully resolved has been inconvenient and frustrating for Ms McCalla, and apologise to her.” 

He added that Lewisham Homes is starting to invest in a programme specifically targeting damp. 

He continued: “As well as improving the condition of our stock to prevent damp, we are also working to ensure we effectively deal with responsive repair issues like plumbing leaks between flats.

“As part of the recent restructure of our repairs service, we now have a specialist damp surveying resource, who assess and manage damp cases and also instruct works.” 

The spokesman said the Lewisham Homes is trying to be “more proactive with leaks” and trying to “manage these cases until they are fully resolved”. 

Pictured top: Jodie McCalla