Exclusive | Newborn baby faces homelessness after deadly mould risk
Vulnerable mother suffers mental health crisis amid prolonged housing instability
A Black British mother and her newborn face homelessness after being forced into temporary accommodation at their own expense while their housing association delays action on mould in their Surrey home, Black Current News can reveal.
Raphael Nyamaah says he and his wife, Felicia, were told this week that their hotel stay could not continue, despite assurances from A2Dominion that alternative accommodation would be provided until the property was confirmed safe.
This has left the family at risk of homelessness and under pressure to return to the mould-affected flat.
The case comes amid continued scrutiny of damp and mould in social housing following the death of Awaab Ishak in 2020, which exposed the serious risks such conditions pose to children and prompted national warnings for landlords.
The couple’s son, born just three weeks ago, has lost 16.5% of his birth weight, according to documents seen by Black Current News, which is a level that clinicians consider to be medically concerning.
Raphael warns that stress and instability are undermining feeding, the baby’s weight gain and Felicia’s emergency caesarean section recovery, as their repeated attempts to seek help have gone unanswered.
“I cannot ignore the reality that we are a Black family being treated in a way that is plainly degrading and unsafe,” the new dad, aged 40, tells this platform.
“It is difficult to believe a white family with a newborn would be left in limbo like this - forced to choose between a mould‑affected home and homelessness.
“We feel our surname has let us down; if we were white, this would have been sorted out a very long time ago.”
He adds: “The death of Awaab Ishak showed what can happen when these risks are ignored. I will do everything in my power to make sure my family is protected.”
The family’s flat is a new-build property managed by A2Dominion Housing.
Systemic failures
According to the couple, early signs of damp were first noticed in June 2025, when marks appeared on the walls.
They initially believed the issue was superficial. However, they later realised that the bedroom, intended to be used as a nursery for their son, remained persistently cold and damp even when the heating was on - a pattern that is consistent with moisture ingress and mould.
From late 2025 onwards, Raphael says he repeatedly notified A2Dominion and raised concerns about the health risks, particularly given Felicia’s pregnancy and the imminent arrival of their baby.
Ultimately, nothing was done to resolve this.
“We feel this is not simply ‘poor communication’,” Raphael says.
“It reads as a systematic effort to diminish, discredit and exhaust us - rather than deal with the hazard”.
Despite multiple visits and inspections by or on behalf of the housing association, the family says they have not been provided with a written root-cause report, a dated remediation plan or independent confirmation that the property is safe for a newborn and a post-operative mother.
The situation is affecting their mental health, Raphael says, and his wife is struggling emotionally and physically following her operation.
Following Felicia’s discharge from hospital after giving birth, the family say they paid for temporary hotel accommodation out of their own pocket while expecting the housing issue to be resolved. That did not happen.
This week, they were told by the hotel that they would need to leave, placing them at immediate risk of homelessness.
Last night, the matter escalated into a mental health emergency; Raphael says Felicia experienced a severe mental health crisis and required urgent clinical intervention. She is now under referral to the Perinatal Mental Health Team.
Felicia, who’s 30 years old, experienced a further crisis this morning.
The family says they have incurred significant emergency accommodation and living costs to protect their baby, despite relying on Jobseeker’s Allowance and maternity pay.
They allege that A2Dominion has resisted reimbursing those emergency costs, even where accommodation was secured at short notice to protect the newborn from the mould-affected flat.
A knock on the door
This morning, Raphael says he was informed by the Surrey hotel where the family are staying that they would need to leave immediately, despite previous assurances by A2Dominion that temporary accommodation would be secured until their property was confirmed safe and habitable.
After notifying Black Current News and following our phone calls to A2Dominion, as well as the hotel, the family was then informed that eviction isn’t imminent.
Raphael says the housing association’s position appeared to shift only after media scrutiny began this week.
Raphael questions why decisive action did not come sooner, despite repeated warnings and medical evidence.
The family has provided photographs showing visible mould in the property, while a survey commissioned by A2Dominion, seen by Black Current News, identified high moisture levels and the need for remedial works.
Documents seen by this publication indicate that responsibility for the building’s structure, ventilation systems and service media rests with the landlord.
The family says the damp and mould in the property are persistent, recurring and widespread, affecting the bathroom, the baby’s nursery and other areas of the flat.
They argue that a “mould wash”, as suggested by A2Dominion, is not a remedy but a cosmetic response that fails to address the root cause of the problem.
Although the housing association suggested opening windows to improve ventilation, the room intended as the baby’s nursery has no openable window.
Raphael said the family’s experience points to wider systemic failures in the housing system.
Last year, Awaab’s Law came into force, requiring landlords to act more quickly on damp and mould hazards,” he says.
“Yet here we are, still struggling to secure a safe home.
“Our case shows how families remain exposed to unsafe housing conditions despite national attention on this issue.”
The family’s local MP, Al Pinkerton, is aware of the case and has been approached for comment.
The case follows a recent Housing Ombudsman ruling which found severe maladministration by A2Dominion, citing prolonged delays, poor communication, inadequate record-keeping, and a failure to properly account for resident vulnerabilities.
Dan Simpson, Director of Property Management, told Black Current News: “We are committed to providing Mr Nyamaah with alternative accommodation whilst the current investigation is ongoing.
“We have contacted him several times to try and arrange this, we have contacted him today, and will continue to attempt to speak with him to ensure that we can provide this.
“We expect to be getting a report on Friday about the cause of mould in the property and will be sharing this information and next steps with Mr Nyamaah following this.”
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