Newcastle City Council’s Incompetence Awarded: The Fight for Safe Housing Continues

Newcastle has officially earned itself a spot in the ‘Big Issues’ top 10 worst cities in Britain for damp and mould. The city is ranked number five nationally, but for our members, Newcastle City Council, the largest landlord in the city and the body that is supposed to regulate and inspect private rented properties, is number one in failing to ensure safe and healthy homes.

That’s why we took action this week.

Parvin and her family have been living with damp and mould in their council home since August 2023. Despite months of reports, visits, and so-called repairs, the problems persist. Newcastle City Council’s response? Papering over the cracks, literally. Temporary fixes, empty reassurances, and a complete refusal to tackle the root cause.

Food & Solidarity has been supporting Parvin since September 2024, and after months of back-and-forth emails, frustrating delays, and continued inaction, we had to make it clear: this is unacceptable.

This week, we visited Parvin’s home alongside members to demand real action. We handed Newcastle City Council an award, a Certificate of Incompetence for Damp and Mould Repairs, to mark their utter failure to fix the situation and on behalf of the many tenants in Newcastle in similar and worse situations. As one of our members put it:

“Newcastle is number five in the ‘Big Issues’ worst cities for damp and mould... but they’re number one in our hearts for failing our members.”

Council representatives were there to receive the award, and they admitted that some repairs had been ineffective. They promised a full schedule of works, a review of the repairs that have already been done, and, crucially, an apology to Parvin and her family. But words mean nothing without action.

We’ve heard these promises before. Back in November, after months of pressure, the council finally agreed to conduct critical repairs to Parvin’s home, provide a dehumidifier, and compensate for damaged belongings. While some repairs did happen, a full schedule of works was never produced. Instead, Parvin and her family have been left in limbo, dealing with endless appointments, cancellations, and the stress of never knowing when, or if, their home will be fully repaired.

This is why we took action again.

The council has now committed to reviewing repairs from the beginning, producing a full schedule of works, and issuing an apology. But we are not going anywhere, we know from experience that the only way to get results is through collective action.

Parvin’s story is not unique. Newcastle City Council has failed to fix almost 2,000 reported damp and mould cases in their own properties alone, leaving families across the city in dangerous living conditions. If you are facing similar issues, you are not alone. We want to hear from you.

Fill out our form opposite if you have an issue in your home or community!

If you’re tired of waiting, tired of being ignored, and ready to fight for safe homes, join us. Get involved with Food & Solidarity today.