Mother claims family left in Dunstable home oozing with ‘yellow slime’ despite visits from housing association
A mother-of-two says she has been forced to stay inside her Dunstable property despite an unidentified yellow substance leaking out around the home.
Sashana Woolley, 39, has lived in her housing association property in Frenchs Avenue since 2017.
She started noticing patches of yellow slime dripping down the walls in October, and they have continued to form in different areas around the house.
Images show stained patches pooling in the corners of rooms, around doorways and on skirting boards.
Sashana said: “The yellow slime and stains are spreading from the corners of the floor upwards and growing fungus, which I believe is a bacterial infection or yellow slime mould.
“We don’t even know if whatever is in my property is actually affecting our breathing.”
Four people from Stonewater, the housing association responsible for the property, have visited the home to assess the issue, but Sashana claims they don’t know what it is either.
She explained: “[The surveyor] was saying it’s not damp or mould, he never saw this in his life.
“He also said to me that we English people fry a lot, that’s why our houses look like this.”
Catherine Evans, director of homes operations at Stonewater, said the company has been “working hard to address the issue”.
She said: “After thorough investigation, including multiple specialist inspections, it has been confirmed that the substance reported is not damp or mould.
“However, given how distressing the situation has been for the family, we are currently exploring independent third-party testing options that may be able to provide further reassurance.”
Sashana, who has two sons, claims the issues are affecting the family both mentally and physically: “It affects me mentally, physically. It’s like my whole life is on pause.
“I literally can’t even go to work now.”
Her youngest son has breathing difficulties and skin problems, which have she claims have worsened since the issue began.
She said: “My housing is not fit and safe.
“I want [Stonewater] to place us somewhere temporarily until they get to the bottom of what actually is inside my property.
“Am I meant to stay in the property and suffer?”
Stonewater’s director of home operations said the housing association has replaced the extractor fan and is in the process of installing a new cooker hood.
But she shut down the claims that the family need to be housed elsewhere: “Based on the findings from multiple specialist inspections, we are satisfied there is no risk to the household and, as a result, temporary accommodation is not required.
“We recognise, however, that this has been a worrying experience, and will continue to support the customer as we complete the necessary additional steps.
“We are looking into the concerns raised about comments made during the contractor’s visit. We have spoken to Ms Woolley and offered our apologies while we review the situation.”