Mould affecting Ottawa housing tenants' health
Last Updated: Monday, November 2, 2009 | 8:14 PM ET
CBC News
Carol Ann McKinnon and two of her three children suffer from asthma they say is aggravated by mould growing in the basement of their building. Some residents of a west-end Ottawa community housing development say unchecked mould in their buildings is affecting their health.
Carol Ann McKinnon lives at Pinecrest Terrace — an Ottawa community housing development with 130 apartments and townhomes on Iris Street.
McKinnon and two of her three children suffer from asthma that she said is made worse by mould growing in the crumbling basement walls of their building. McKinnon has a document from a city inspector ordering the walls to be fixed by Oct. 31, but the repairs have not been done.
"I understand that there isn't the money, but at the same time, how many Band-Aids can be put on places?"
'Many people have children … on Ventolin'
Another resident, Erin Albright, said mould is in most of the houses in the neighbourhood.
"Many people have children [who] are on Ventolin constantly, or the blue or the brown, or the purple inhalers."
Maryam Meye has been on a priority list for a new house for the past year. Her two-year-old son has been diagnosed with chronic respiratory syncytial virus — a disease often associated with humidity.
"I want my kids to be healthy, so I cannot stay in these conditions."
Mould will be 'addressed'
Joan Poirier, CEO of Ottawa Community Housing, said the agency is committed to providing mould-free housing, but that will take time.
"We know we have some communities that may have mould.… That is something we are addressing on a community-by-community basis."
Poirier said Ottawa Community Housing will spend $130 million over the next two years to fix up the city's housing stock.
