Anti-dampness Campaigns

Anti-dampness Campaigns

In Glasgow’s history of struggles against poor housing conditions, the fight against damp and mould has been a pervasive issue. This was exacerbated by post-war clearances and mass high-rise developments which used construction methods and materials which led to damp and mould in people’s homes. Landlords and local councils often lay blame at tenants for causing the dampness. Tenants formed anti-damp groups and campaigns to pressure landlords and Glasgow local authority to take responsibility for repair work and rehousing, deploying a range of different strategies from direct action to community plays. This collection documents campaigns from the 1980s in Easterhouse and Gorbals. We also seeks to document contemporary campaigns against dampness in the city.