14% of people in Norwich say they live in damp or mouldy homes
Allergy UK suggests there's a 50% increased risk of getting asthma for those living in these conditions
A new study shows 14% of people in Norwich say they're living in homes with significant damp or mould.
Charity Allergy UK - which carried out the research - suggests there's a 50% increased risk of getting asthma for those living in these conditions.
Across the UK, it says around two million people across the UK are living in damp or mouldy homes.
As a result, it says urgent action is needed to help those living in these unhealthy conditions.
Awabb's law
The issue was recently highlighted recently with the introduction of Awabb’s Law in 2023.
Awaab Ishak was just two-years-old when he died in December 2020, as a direct result of exposure to mould in the social housing his family rented in Rochdale.
Awaab’s Law will ensure landlords are required to investigate the cause of damp within two weeks of it being reported.
Allergy UK says this law marks a significant step towards ensuring healthier living environments in social housing, by clearly delineating the responsibilities of landlords and tenants.
AI mould tool
Elsewhere, researchers at Leeds Beckett University are working on a AI tool, to address mould growth problems in UK housing to improve housing safety.
Researchers are working with BuildEco Ltd to develop an advanced diagnostic web-based platform that uses AI to assess and optimise existing building designs to tackle the issue.
The platform examines existing buildings to identify areas prone to dampness and mould growth, proposes plans to solve this and optimises retrofit designs to reduce mould risks and improve building safety and integrity.
The research is part of £7million funding from the UK Research and Innovation Technology Missions Fund, which is delivered by the Innovate UK BridgeAI programme.
Dr Jamiu A Dauda, senior lecturer who is leading the research, said: “Unlocking AI’s potential to analyse vast building performance data is key to tackling damp and mould issues in UK housing.
"The AI-DOMP project addresses this by providing an AI-enabled diagnostic platform to assess mould risks in houses, equipping the sector with AI-driven solutions for better decision-making.”