Resident in affluent Aussie suburb found living for years with dire mould problem in public housing
The 73-year-old resident, who asked Yahoo News to remain anonymous, had been living in the Coogee home in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs since 2016 after he suffered a stroke. Within a year, the resident started to complain about the mould to his friend and carer, Grace Thomas, who then started chasing the housing authority for assistance.
After a swift initial response — with the resident being placed in temporary accommodation while the mould issue was addressed in 2018 — further complaints of the mould reappearing and growing throughout the home fell largely on deaf ears. Yahoo News understands Homes NSW received multiple reports of mould between 2019 and 2024, and while temporary repairs were made, the overall issue was not dealt with.
It was only when the resident's electricity switched off again due to "water in the walls" — and was only turned back on by authorities — that Grace doubled down on her complaints to the housing authority.
"There was mould everywhere... it grew insurmountable," Grace told Yahoo News. "He actually placed tarps on the floor and then little rugs on the top, so that he could step out without feeling the squelch underneath his feet whenever he went to get out of bed.
"He was broken, and had given up."
Images show the black mould growing in the man's carpet, bathroom, kitchen, furniture, and even on his front door. After getting nowhere with the housing authority, Grace received an independent report from a mould specialist through BlueBay Group in October last year, who confirmed "the current environment is not safe for human living".
Grace claims she was even advised to wear a mask when visiting her friend in his home.
Grace told Yahoo News authorities had provided temporary solutions for the "horrific living conditions", but a sewage leak inside the home last month was the thing that finally pushed them into action.
"The sewage really hit a mark for me, because it was a literal biohazard... The stench of it, I nearly threw up," she said. A hygienist report was completed, and the resident was finally moved to temporary accommodation by Homes NSW, where he remains today.
Yahoo News reached out to Home NSW about the living conditions the elderly man had been living in.
"We recognise that the condition of this tenant's property has not met acceptable standards and have been working to address their concerns," a spokesperson said.
"We have been working with the tenant and several works have been completed over time to rectify mould and other maintenance issues. Some of our efforts have been delayed due to difficulties accessing the unit," they said.
In response, Grace acknowledged her elderly friend can let his "pride" get in the way of accepting help, but argued it did not excuse the lack of action from authorities over the years.
Homes NSW is now working on relocating the resident to "a more suitable, ground-floor property in the local area" and confirmed he will remain in temporary accommodation until his new unit is completed this week. Other units in the Coogee building complex are being inspected to ensure no other tenants are being affected, authorities added.
"Homes NSW is committed to providing safe, well-maintained homes that meet tenants' needs," the spokesperson said.
Tenant and housing advocate Jordan van den Berg told Yahoo News he has seen a decline in public housing reinvestment and is urging state governments to do more of it. He has expressed concerns that a lack of investment not only worsens living conditions for residents, but also exacerbates negative perceptions held by some in the community towards those who rely on public housing.
"We used to have a system where public housing rents could only be spent by the government on repairing public housing and maintaining public housing... now it's not being reinvested and it should," he said.
"This incident is definitely shocking, and it's such a shame that this gentleman has been living in these conditions... we need to fight for public housing that is good quality, accessible to anyone who wants to live in it, and not just the most desperate people in our society."
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After sharing the ordeal online, Grace has been inundated with offers from fellow Sydneysiders who are willing to provide furniture for her friend's new home. She is relieved, but is concerned many others are suffering silently in public housing.
"I just don't understand how to fix this, and how people that are vulnerable or are unable to navigate these systems themselves are getting any help," she said.
"They [the authorities] only come out of the woodwork when things like this happen, where it becomes a media issue. I'm hoping they will solve his [her friend's] problem, but it doesn't solve the broader issue that they need better processes," she said.
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