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A housing association is facing a growing rebellion from Barnsbury tenants furious about dampness they say is making their children ill.

Damp and mould caused by water penetrating from outside walls and through leaks in the roof on the Hyde-run Grove estate have led to residents suffering depression, respiratory problems, eczema, coughs and colds, they say. Doctors have written to Hyde about the effect on children’s health.

“There are children living in properties that should be condemned,” said Cornelia Street resident Rita Ferguson, 66. “Why are they suffering like we’re in the Victorian age?

“They [Hyde’s repair contractors] don’t turn up for repairs. When they do they don’t know what they’re doing. You get a multi-tasker, not a plumber or a carpenter. The service is absolutely terrible.”

Tenants say Hyde has taken little or no action despite being aware of the issues for at least two years. The Tribune has seen letters from four GPs expressing concerns about the impact of dampness on the health of eight children living in Alderwick Court, the worst-affected block. Doctors have urged Hyde to take action to improve insulation and ventilation or to find the families affected alternative accommodation.

In a letter to Hyde sent on January 5, Dr William Coppola wrote, after seeing the two children of tenant Naomi Guymer, 21: “It is clear from the pattern of their illnesses, and their improvement when away from their normal home, that the conditions in the flat are directly affecting their health.”

In November, Ms Guymer’s 15-month-old daughter was rushed to University College London’s A&E department after she appeared unresponsive due to “respiratory problems”, her mother said.

For mother-of-two Emma Doyle, 29, who lives on the top floor of Alderwick Court, the problems with leaking and damp started in May 2013.

“We waited for 22 months for them to do the repairs,” she said. “It was finally fixed in March last year. It has affected my kids’ health, and I was very stressed.

“Now the cracks in the wall have started to appear again. I care for my mum and I work almost full-time. I just cannot face having to go through that stress again.”

Neighbour Emma Coll­ings, 35, has been without a bathroom floor since 2014 after contractors working for Hyde failed to replace it when severe leaking damaged the floor.

The bathroom remains too wet for contractors to replace the floor boards, she said.

Ms Collings’ nine-month-old daughter has been diagnosed with atopic eczema affecting her whole body. Her GP, Dr Stanley Ho, wrote to Hyde last week asking for repairs to be carried out “urgently”. Ms Collings said: “I am pregnant and I am so stressed and mentally and physically exhausted from the whole thing. It’s taking a real toll.”

The Grove estate, previously run by Islington Council, was transferred to Hyde in 2004. Hyde regenerated the estate but structural problems remain in Alderwick Court and Caister House.

In Caister House, in Roman Way, there are severe damp, mould and condensation issues which tenants say are not being addressed.

Tenants on the nearby Hyde Village and Ring­cross estates have also complained about damp and the repair service.

Caledonian ward Councillor Paul Convery said: “There is something seriously wrong with those flats and Hyde haven’t really paid much attention to this. There is a level of dilapidation in that block [Alderwick Court] that is severe. Hyde needs to fix the systemic problems or rehouse those residents and rebuild.”

He added: “These families are suffering and they need to do something pretty quickly.”

Hyde says it is spending more than £500,000 on “structural works, including roofs and balconies” at Alderwick Court and Caister House.

Director of resident services Shaun Holdcroft said: “Older buildings such as Alderwick Court often provide many challenges and we are considering all possible options about the best way to address these effectively.

“Residents should be assured that we continue to explore every option to address the issues raised.”