A council candidate called for more to be done to help families in Burngreave dealing with damp and mould at a city budget meeting.

Abdullah Okud, 28, an independent local election candidate for the area, questioned councillors about housing conditions.

Speaking separately to Shef Live, Mr Okud said families in the area had raised concerns about the impact of damp housing on health, including respiratory conditions among children.

He told councillors he was speaking on behalf of “hundreds of residents” who had contacted him.

Mr Okud was interrupted by the Lord Mayor, Safiya Saeed, who also serves as a councillor for Burngreave ward, as she asked him to remain focused on the question being submitted to the council. 

He asked for figures on how many households in the ward were currently affected by damp and mould, how many cases had been recorded over the past three years, and how many had remained unresolved for more than three months. 

He also requested details of funding allocated to address the issue, including investment in ventilation improvements, structural repairs, and roofing work.

Responding to the question, Councillor Douglas Johnson, chair of the council’s housing policy committee, said there were currently around 70 active damp and mould cases being handled by the council across the eastern part of Sheffield. He said the authority does not record repair cases by ward, meaning a specific breakdown for Burngreave could not be provided. 

“Repairs are done where needed,” Johnson said, adding that the council had increased efforts in recent years to investigate the structural causes of damp rather than relying solely on surface repairs.

Housing conditions have become a recurring topic in local political discussions as residents and community groups highlight the impact of ageing housing stock and maintenance pressures. 

Mr Okud, a youth worker and community organiser who previously served as president of the student union at Sheffield Hallam University, said he decided to stand for election after hearing repeated concerns from residents.

“You’ve got families with children who didn’t have asthma now developing asthma,” he said. “These are real issues affecting our communities, and people feel their voices aren’t being heard.”