A hospital medic and a head teacher have written to Birmingham City Council urging it to help a family who have been living in a damp and mould-ridden house amid fears for the health of their little boy, aged six.
At one point the damp was so bad that the ceiling of the bedroom where the lad sleeps fell in, leaving him traumatised. The youngster, Adam, has been hospitalised several times this year with uncontrolled asthma that his parents fear is triggered by the damp living conditions.
Family's ordeal compounded by robbery
The family's misery has been compounded after Adam's dad Imad was mugged for his mobile phone and slashed across the face with a knife. He was walking home from work in Perry Barr when the shocking assault happened on April 2.
Now the desperate family, supported by health professionals, are making a last appeal to the council to move them out of the property and back to Birmingham, where they have a support network and where the children were happy and safe.
Awaab's Law cited
The family - mum Hala and dad Imad and four children, girls aged 18 and 20 and boys aged six and 13 - have cited Awaab's Law. These were new regulations made in the wake of the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in Rochdale. The law compels landlords to act with urgency when damp and mould conditions are causing a health hazard.
Mum Hala said: "Our lives were in Birmingham. My husband had work there, the children were settled, our support network was there, everyone we know here was in Birmingham and now we are alone. Even getting hold of food we can eat is less good. It is very hard."
Support from community charity
Supporting their case is Citizens UK in Birmingham, a community charity. They say the family have been in sub-standard temporary accommodation in another city outside of Birmingham for the past one year and five months, where they have no local connections.
"With no action taken against the property owner to carry out repairs, the health of their little boy has been significantly affected despite duties under Awaab's law," said Saidul Haque, of Birmingham Citizens.
The council has carried out a recent inspection and the landlord has been back to carry out more repairs as a result of BirminghamLive's inquiries. They told us there is now no evidence of active damp or mould following the new repairs and they have pledged to seek to support the family to move back to Birmingham.
However, a new video sent over by the family in the past 24 hours clearly shows the patches of damp and mould have reappeared in the ceiling, despite the reassurances. They say it demonstrates the structural nature of the issue.
Family's background
The family moved to the city eight years ago from Syria, under the refugee resettlement programme. They had fled the war in their home country. As soon as they were legally permitted to, Imad has been working and earning money to better the family's situation, while the two older daughters are studying.
The family initially lived in private rented accommodation in Erdington, until the landlord decided he wanted the property back and evicted them last year. They struggled to find anywhere affordable to live so turned to the city council. The family were sent first to a hotel in Walsall as a temporary measure before being moved in January to a house in Wolverhampton.
There they discovered big patches of damp and mould in bedrooms and the kitchen, around the windows and in the upstairs ceiling. It was only when the ceiling of the bedroom shared by the younger children fell in that action resulted.
Initial repairs were done but the damp and mould reappeared multiple times. Additional repairs and painting was carried out earlier this month as a result of the family's complaints but damp has already reappeared.
The house is kept spotlessly clean by the family and they follow correct advice about keeping windows open and walls clear but they say the damp is structural because of the age and condition of the property and will keep reappearing, as it has previously. "It is in the walls and just keeps coming back," said mum Hala.
Health impact on young boy
Adam has been in and out of hospital all year with asthma and, despite regular inhalers, the symptoms persist. In a letter to the council, Dr Sally Edwards, clinical director of acute paediatrics, Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust, said she is seeking support for the family because of the impact of damp conditions on her patient Adam's asthma and wheeze. In it she cites the council's obligations under Awaab's Law and the housing act.
Adam's headteacher Philip Salisbury also sent a letter citing his concerns. In it he wrote: "I have seen pictures of mould in the house and his parents are convinced this is linked to Adam's poor health. We have seen a deterioration in Adam's health recently and he is now requiring an asthma inhaler most days at school (this is a significant increase in the last few weeks)."
Awaab's Law means councils and landlords must carry out emergency repairs within 24 hours, and repair significant damp and mould hazards within ten days - or provide alternative accommodation.
Robbery leaves father traumatised
Imad, quietly spoken, has been left traumatised after a horrific robbery as he walked home from work on a spring evening in early April. He was slashed across the face, the knife penetrating his cheek, after he refused to hand over his mobile phone. The robber left him bleeding and badly hurt. He required multiple stitches to his injured face and still has numbness in his face and tongue, making eating a challenge. The mental impact has been horrific, say his family. Those responsible are still not found.
Council response
Birmingham City Council said: "Birmingham City Council takes all concerns about the condition of temporary accommodation seriously, and we are sorry to hear about the issues raised by the family. The matters relating to the property were first reported in January 2026, and the accommodation provider arranged for repairs at that time, including works to the ceiling and checks for damp and mould. Further efforts have been made to arrange follow-on inspections and any additional works where required.
"A council officer carried out an inspection of the property on 28 May. At the time of the visit, no active damp or mould was identified. However, the managing agent has been asked to undertake further checks as a precaution and to complete any outstanding minor repairs.
"The family remains owed a housing duty by Birmingham City Council, and we will continue to work with them to review their circumstances. While demand for temporary accommodation remains at an all-time high in Birmingham, we will work with the family to carry out their request to be accommodated closer to Birmingham, where they have established support networks and access to education and services. We will continue to work with the household and the accommodation provider to ensure the property is safe and to identify suitable longer-term housing options."
