A few dozen tenants in a small Midwestern town have recently taken to public protests to highlight wretched conditions in too many homes they rent. They’re living with disgusting and dangerous problems like mold, moisture and major leak in their households. These are the experiences of Paul Cowley, Nathan Muzik, David and Nicola Cooper. Their outcry has generated immediate pressure from local officials and housing advocates to landlords and property managers.
Paul Cowley, a musician and artist, suddenly faces eviction from his home. He’s in the middle of a very bad leak in his living room ceiling. The toxic environment has made it so he can no longer sleep in his bedroom, where mould has infested the space. It’s really not healthy for anybody, I just want to get out of here. No-one should have to live like this in the future – I believe that’s morally wrong,” Cowley said.
David, also an affected tenant, told us that he is very worried about the safety of his home, especially for his daughter. As Mould mentioned, mould has taken over their house, and it has caused him to feel that the conditions in their home are harmful to their physical and mental health. He hopes for a better living situation where his daughter can “have her own space” and be “safe” and “happy.”
Nicola Cooper has called the “disgusting” and “unacceptable” state of her privately rented property to the attention of local councils. Even though we had scrubbed the walls in her bedroom just a week prior, mould was back. “It’s very depressing. Cooper added, “I dread coming home sometimes… I dread the reality of how bad it is.”
Nathan Muzik shares similar frustrations. He has to deal with chronic damp and mould in his own home. In fact, he thinks the unhealthy environment contributed to his younger child’s recent hospitalisation for croup. “It makes me feel like I’m stuck in a hole,” Muzik shared. What I fear, of course, is being trapped here with the kids on days that I don’t feel well. He continued by saying that he does not feel that he has any rights as a tenant dealing with these issues. “I try to keep my flat tidy and then I come in and see this, that makes me feel dirty; it’s not nice.”
Devon Watson, attorney for the tenants, pointed to a lack of available safe housing. He called what they found “the tip of the iceberg.” He underscored this by noting that thousands of additional homes are still required for families facing situations like what Brittany experienced. Watson focused on the lack of protections for tenants who want to complain about the quality of their housing. Regulations that are in place are very poorly enforced and the regulations are clearly inadequate,” stated Watson.
In 2021, local authorities introduced a landlord registration program. Create minimum standards for security of tenancies, the condition of properties, and requirements regarding personal conduct by landlords. Tenants such as Cowley, Muzik, Cooper, and David continue to fight today. This is a disgraceful state of affairs to have in a country that bills itself as one of the wealthiest in the entire world.
Douglas Council has admitted that it knew of these cases and others like it. The response of the new local authority to this response will be key in tackling these persistent issues that tenants are facing today.
