Over 50,000 people have joined MPs from across Greater Manchester to back the Manchester Evening News' campaign for 'Awaab's Law' in memory of a two-year-old boy who died after mould and damp inside his family's flat went untreated for years, despite their complaints.
The politicians spoke out after the chief executive of housing association Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, Gareth Swarbrick, refused to resign despite calls for him to quit made by Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Rochdale Council - as his organisation also comes under the spotlight of the Housing Ombudsman, which is investigating further, similar complaints made by other tenants in Rochdale.
Lisa Nandy MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities who has called for an urgent Government investigation into the treatment of refugees in the housing system, described toddler Awaab's death - and the circumstances leading up to it - as 'a stain on our nation's conscience'.
READ MORE: 'Our beautiful Awaab's death should have been a defining moment - but nothing has changed'
There were also calls from other MPs today for an official inquiry, with one calling Awaab's death 'beyond horrific' and saying: "This tragedy must never, ever be allowed to happen again."
"That this should happen in 21st century Britain, the fifth richest country in the world, is unacceptable," added another Greater Manchester MP.
The M.E.N has teamed up with housing charity, Shelter, to launch a petition calling for Awaab's Law, which as of 9pm on Friday night (November 18) has seen 50,000 people sign it. The law would require landlords to investigate the causes of damp and mould within 14 days of complaints being made and provide tenants with a report on the findings.
The Social Housing Regulation Bill is currently going through Parliament, and if approved would bring back regulation on consumer standards for social housing, but our call for Awaab's Law would strengthen it, by including Ofsted-style inspections at short notice and increased professionalisation of housing management to improve the experience of tenants, including those living with damp and mould.
Backing the M.E.N.'s campaign, Wigan MP Ms Nandy told us: "The circumstances around the death of Awaab Ishak are appalling. It is a stain on our nation's conscience that such a thing could happen in modern Britain.
"To that end Labour is working constructively to strengthen the Social Housing Bill it as it goes through parliament, and are supporting measures that provide for the professionalisation of the sector, performance improvement plans, and emergency repairs in instances where a tenant faces an imminent health and safety risk.
"This is a problem that spans both social housing and the private rented sector and need effective legislation to hand power to tenants in both. Labour has laid out plans to introduce a decent homes standard fit for the 21st century, and a Renters' Charter to strengthen tenants’ rights and protections, including the right to request speedy repairs. Action must be taken urgently."
Labour MP for Denton and Reddish, Andrew Gwynne, told the M.E.N: "I would like to send my profound condolences to the family of Awaab Ishak. I cannot begin to imagine the pain and heartache that they are experiencing. It is beyond horrific that in modern Britain, a two-year old boy has lost his life because of housing that was unfit for human habitation.
"New regulation is important, but we also need to see urgent action to assist investment in social housing, improve enforcement capacity and provide legal help to those living in unsafe conditions. This tragedy must never, ever be allowed to happen again."
Christian Wakeford, Labour MP for Bury South, said: "I support the objectives of the M.E.N.'s campaign to end the scourge of families being made to live in damp, mouldy and squalid conditions.
"Labour has laid out plans to introduce a decent homes standard fit for the 21st century, and a Renters’ Charter to strengthen tenants’ rights and protections, including the right to request speedy repairs. Labour will continue to try and amend and strengthen current legislation such as the Social Housing Bill as it makes its way through Parliament.
"Tragic cases like that of Awaab Ishak should never happen again and I would support an inquiry into what went wrong and a change in the law that ensures that landlords, both private or social cannot ignore the health risks of damp or mould."
Gorton MP Afzal Khan said: "Awaab Ishak's death was shocking and unforgivable. We must make sure this never happens again, and that no other family is forced to suffer in the same way. We need a change in the law to make sure that landlords cannot ignore the risk to tenant's health from damp and mould, so I am pleased to support the Manchester Evening News' campaign."
Debbie Abrahams, Labour MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, said she agreed with the coroner, who presided over an inquest into Awaab's death, that the tragedy must be a 'defining moment for the housing sector'. "That this should happen in 21st century Britain, the fifth richest country in the world, is unacceptable," she said.
"Legislation for decent homes for social housing was introduced in 2004. This was meant to ensure that homes were safe and fit for human habitation with a Housing Health and Safety Rating System. Category 1 hazards are meant to trigger immediate action. A Decent Homes Standard would help with this. Why is the Government dragging their feet on this?
"So what's happened since 2004 which meant that Awaab died from exposure to mould that was so bad it was found in his lungs and blood? The Government said they'd learn lessons from the Grenfell tragedy, but this is yet another example where the lives of poor, vulnerable people seem not to matter.
"I will support all measures that will improve social housing to a decent standards and hold providers to account on delivering this. Calling this 'Awaab's Law' would be a fitting tribute to his memory. However we must not take our eye off the poor standards of housing in the private-rented sector which, according to the last English Housing Survey is a key concern."
Awaab, who lived with his family in a flat on Rochdale's Freehold estate, died in December, 2020, just days after his second birthday, following prolonged exposure to mould. His parents had repeatedly raised their concerns about the state of their home with their landlord, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing.
In a statement in the Commons, Mr Gove said Awaab's father 'first articulated his concerns in 2017 and others, including health professionals, also raised the alarm, but the landlord failed to take any kind of meaningful action'. He called it a 'terrible dereliction of duty' - and slammed the association's 'apparent attempts' to 'attribute the existence of mould to the actions of Awaab's parents' as 'beyond insensitive and deeply unprofessional'.
Mr Gove, who outlined further reform and projects as he said the Social Housing Bill would bring in a 'rigorous new regime' went on to say it 'beggars belief' that Mr Swarbrick was still in a job.
But in a video recording he replaced on social media, which showed him reading from a piece of paper, the under-fire chief executive said he would not be resigning, saying the organisation's board had given him 'their full backing and trust to continue to oversee the improvements and changes needed'.
The M.E.N has contacted the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to ask for Mr Gove's reaction.
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