Latest news with #GraceThomas
Daily Telegraph
08-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Telegraph
Aussie pensioner left to rot in squalid public housing nightmare
A 73-year-old man was left to rot in a mould-ridden public housing unit in Sydney's swanky eastern suburbs, with black mould crawling across the walls and carpets like something out of a horror flick. The retiree, who wishes to remain anonymous, has been living in his Coogee home since 2016, according to Yahoo News, after suffering a stroke. But within a year, the mould started its insidious takeover, and his mate and carer, Grace Thomas, has been battling the clueless housing authority ever since. After a promising start in 2018 – with the resident whisked away to temporary digs while they supposedly tackled the mould – the problem just kept coming back, bigger and uglier than before. MORE NEWS 'Plywood caskets': Outrage over bizarre $1025 rental Aussie man locked in $100k battle with council Where Aus tenants pay the most It was only when the man's electricity was cut off again, due to 'water in the walls', that Ms Thomas went nuclear on the housing authority. 'There was mould everywhere… it grew insurmountable,' she 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.' MORE NEWS: Inside Australia's haunting mall mystery Supplied images show the horrifying extent of the black mould infestation – growing in the man's carpet, bathroom, kitchen, furniture, and even on his front door. In October last year, an independent report from a mould specialist at BlueBay Group confirmed what was already glaringly obvious: 'the current environment is not safe for human living'. Finally, after a hygienist report, the retiree was moved to temporary accommodation by Homes NSW, where he remains today. In a statement to Yahoo News, Home NSW recognised that the condition of the tenant's home had not met acceptable standards. The government department is now looking to relocate the resident to 'a more suitable, ground-floor property in the local area' and confirmed he will stay in temporary accommodation until his new unit is ready. Remaining units in the Coogee complex will also be inspected for mould. 'Homes NSW is committed to providing safe, well-maintained homes that meet tenants' needs,' a government spokesperson said. How can I prevent mould from growing in my home? Although mould can be found almost anywhere, it needs moisture and nutrients to grow. The following actions can help prevent mould growth by reducing dampness in the home. – Maintain proper ventilation: Turn on exhaust fans, particularly when bathing, showering, cooking, doing laundry and drying clothes. Open windows when weather permits, to improve cross ventilation. – Reduce humidity – Limit the use of humidifiers. – Limit the number of fish tanks and indoor plants. – Limit use of unflued gas heaters – Control moisture and dampness: Repair all water leaks and plumbing problems, for example, burst water pipes, leaking roof or blocked rain gutter. If water enters your home, completely clean and dry water-damaged carpets and building materials. Discard material that cannot be cleaned and dried completely. What are possible health problems from contact with mould? Health effects of mould exposure include a runny or blocked nose, irritation of the eyes and skin, and sometimes wheezing. For people with asthma, inhaling mould spores may cause an asthma attack. Very rarely, people may develop a severe mould infection, usually in the lungs – however, it is important to see a doctor if mould related health problems are suspected.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Resident in affluent Aussie suburb found living for years with dire mould problem in public housing
Shocking images show the "unliveable conditions" an elderly resident had been enduring for more than seven years in public housing, with black mould spreading across the walls and carpet in the home situated in one of the country's most sought-after suburbs. 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." ⛈️ Aussies warned over widespread danger emerging in homes after relentless weather 🌊 Tenant blasts property manager's response after daughter's room floods 😷 Disturbing photos reveal huge problem for Aussie renters 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. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
RNZ News
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Glastonbury organisers 'appalled' by comments made by act
UK correspondent Grace Thomas spoke to Lisa Owen about controversial comments made by one of the acts on the Glastonbury stage, as well as the changes Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to make to the UK's benefit system today. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
National Library Week: GPL talks free services to all ages, education, and funding challenges
GOSHEN — Goshen Public Library is celebrating National Library Week with fun events, but also with an eye toward funding challenges. This special week so far has seen informational social media posts, promotion of their free events, encouragement of the issuing of library cards, and promotion of digital content available through the library. Grace Thomas, Development and Community Engagement manager at the Goshen Public Library, had a lot to say on current and upcoming events for both adults, children, and families to enjoy for free. Thomas said that she is leading a digital literacy class in which adults can learn the basic functions of Word, Excel, and other digital programs. 'We're teaching digital literacy workshops, so computer basics,' she said. 'To adults in English and Spanish and again, they are totally free. We've been doing it since February. We were lucky enough to get a small grant from the American Library Association for that.' Thomas said that the class can teach up to 10 participants and have had quite a few workshops with good participation. 'It's been really fun to see people get so excited about something that they're learning, that's going to be applicable to their life, and they cannot believe that it's free,' she said. 'Anytime I get to tell somebody that, it's the best day ever.' The library prides itself in the ability of offering free programs for people of all ages. They also encourage parents to learn about internet safety, password management and overall information that will help them better monitor their kids who may use the internet or even themselves. Among the workshops held at the library, they also offer family nights, once a month to participate in a themed activity. 'Our family nights are focused on being culturally relevant to our Hispanic community and things that parents and kids can do together,' Thomas said. 'And so we found that it is something that people really engage with. 'Last month was International Women's Day and we invited the mayor to come speak and read a story to the kids, which was really fun and Sandra Rodriguez McMasters, which was lovely.' Participation has been great, Thomas emphasized and the library remains a tool for people in the city of Goshen, but it is not repellant to the changes statewide and federally. These changes will be challenging, but the library's leaders are committed to making the best of any challenges they may face, she said. 'Goshen is really supportive of its library, which we appreciate as much as all other public libraries,' Thomas said. 'In terms of funding challenges, libraries are kind of facing this pressure on funding from a couple different sources at once. 'Recently, the president issued an executive order that essentially halted the functioning of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which is a federal organization that supports museums and libraries across the country,' Thomas explained. 'So they put staff on administrative leave and IMLS distributed funding to state libraries and then state libraries distributed funding to local libraries,' she said. 'Without that support, a lot of libraries will lose a good chunk of their budget that they have relied on for years.' She continued, 'Locally, the way that that looks for us is we receive funding from the Indiana State Library and IMLS for things that we share across the state. So if you've ever heard of the inspired databases, other research databases, and Libby, those will be impacted.' Thomas went on to explain the direct effects of the executive orders being passed such as the courier system that carries books and other materials between libraries for Inter-Library Loan, which is funded by the State Library. But these changes are on a federal level; there is more to come at a state level. 'The newest fiscal notes aren't out yet, but libraries are looking at a loss in revenue over the next few years as well as any other taxing bodies, like schools and city governments. SB1 also passed, which reforms property tax in the state and libraries are funded mostly through property tax,' Thomas said. 'We don't know exactly what that's going to look like yet, but it could be something that we're going to have to pay a lot of attention to.' She also mentioned Senate Bill 1 being passed and raising more concerns for the Goshen Library that would cut their budget by 30%, which means services will be lost. Thomas said they're unsure what's to come but their game plan is to keep the community informed and continue to find ways to serve the community despite funding changes. 'Since this is National Library Week, we put together a very small social media campaign where we did one post every day and it was highlighting either a challenge or a benefit of something that you can interact with at the library,' she said. 'We also mentioned funding challenges and showed what you get with that money when the money is granted, such as access to digital materials,' she said. 'One of the really interesting posts was asking staff how much money they saved if they had purchased the materials that they accessed through the library over the last year. I think my number was like $5,000 over the last couple years if I had bought all the materials that I used from the library for free.' Thomas knows there are shifts and changes coming their way but she invites the community to continue to use them as a resource and a place where everyone can have fun and learn together. 'Just come to the library,' she urged. 'We want people to feel comfortable and welcome in the building. This is their space and they should use it and we're happy to help guide them along the way.'
