Oliver Bond residents almost twice as likely to have asthma as they report damp and mould

A NEW STUDY has found that residents of the Oliver Bond Flats in Dublin city are 1.9 times more likely to have asthma as other patients in the same GP practice as them.

The research from Trinity University College follows on from an earlier report that showed over one in three residents had experienced sewage problems, over 30% had water coming into their homes, 83% are living with mould and damp, and over 55% have been told by a medical practitioner that damp, mould or sewage is contributing to ill-health in their families.

Gayle Cullen, the chairperson of the Oliver Bond Residents’ Group, said that people in the flats are “literally sick waiting, physically and mentally”.

She explained that it is “impossible” to keep the flats warm due to “ill-fitting windows”.

The Oliver Bond House flats.

Gayle said that this new report confirms what residents “have been saying for years”, that the flats themselves are having a negative impact on their health.

“It is hard to believe that levels of asthma are twice as high for people living in Oliver Bond House as they are for people elsewhere, and it’s hard to believe that this sort of data was not available or acted on before now,” Gayle added.

The ‘Respiratory Health Among Residents of Oliver Bond House’ report also found that 34% of residents have problems with pest infestation, and that 64% don’t have access to bins that are free of vermin and pests.

Rose Wall, the CEO of the free legal advice service Community Law and Mediation, said that the “substandard living conditions” that residents are living in shows the need for proper enforcement of local authority obligations, and a stronger recognition of the right to adequate housing in national legislation.

“Adequate housing that is, at a minimum, fit for human habitation is fundamental to the vindication of other rights such as the right to health and the right to a healthy environment,” Wall said.

Austin Campbell – one of the study’s authors – said that the research does not “prove” that the living conditions at the flats are “causing” asthma, but it does show that there is an increased instance of the condition amongst residents.

The study was produced in collaboration with the Robert Emmet Community Development Project.