It should never have taken a child to die for change to happen. But the death of Awaab Ishak, following prolonged exposure to mould during a period of inaction from social landlord Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), has been described as a 'defining moment'.
His family described how they were 'left feeling absolutely worthless' as they tried to get their mould issue resolved. Their 'beautiful' two-year-old boy regularly suffered with 'coughing fits' and symptoms which worsened in the final weeks of his life.
By the time Awaab had died in December 2020, a council inspector found that the property was unfit for human habitation without repair. Awaab's family said: "There were days we wouldn't be able to take Awaab out of the house because of how bad his coughing was - but of course by him staying in the house, this made his coughing worse. We were absolutely trapped.
READ MORE: A two-year-old is dead and other children are struggling to breathe
"Living in these conditions affected every aspect of our lives. We didn't feel at peace with ourselves when in the property. All the time we felt troubled. We were anxious and fearful of what the mould was doing to Awaab."
In the three weeks following his inquest, tens of thousands of you have sent a vital message, that Awaab's death must not be in vein. More than 157,000 people have signed the Manchester Evening News ' petition calling for Awaab's Law, to make sure no one faces the same struggles in a social home that Awaab's family did.
They have called on people to get behind the campaign which would set time limits for issues of damp and mould to be inspected and repaired, set priority for tenants where health risks have been flagged up and provide clear information to tenants on their rights. MPs have also backed the call, including housing secretary Michael Gove.
He told the M.E.N. during a visit to the estate Awaab lived on, in Rochdale: "I've asked my team to look now at the specific recommendations of Awaab's Law to see if we can bring it into force as soon as possible." Mr Gove also promised monthly public updates to Awaab's family, and is set to return to Rochdale next year.
Following Awaab's inquest, his family described how their 'lived changed forever' after his death. "He was always full of smiles, he liked to joke and was full of life and laughter. He used to enjoy playing on his bike and with his ball. He always wanted to be with us. His absence leaves a huge void."
Change in Awaab's memory is on the cards and together we can make it happen - but the process of making Awaab's Law a reality won't happen overnight. Yet while that takes place, change is already starting to take place in Greater Manchester.
These are the region's boroughs where councils and housing associations have declared action after the tragedy of Awaab. Change is already happening - but there is still much more to do.
Bury
A comprehensive review of social housing stock in Bury is taking place following Awaab's inquest, working with Six Town Housing and other social landlords. Bury Council leader Eamonn O'Brien told a meeting how damp, mould and condensation were being added to a risk register and will be monitored in a similar way to gas compliance going forward.
Meanwhile, he said Six Town Housing is also drawing up an action plan on damp and mould, and repairs will not be held up by legal claims in the same way Awaab's family were affected. Coun O'Brien added: "At this stage we are not aware of any similar examples in Bury. However, there is more action both short and long term to give us absolute reassurance that is the case."
Manchester
All outstanding repairs relating to mould, damp and condensation in Manchester's council homes are being reviewed following Awaab's inquest. Further training is being rolled out to all relevant staff at the council, which owns and manages 12,500 homes directly, while housing associations have also agreed to urgently address complaints.
The town hall is also reviewing how tenants in the private sector can report these issues amid a clampdown on rogue landlords - with more than a third of 1,800 complaints made in the sector linked to damp and mould, and Manchester Council taking enforcement action 79 times in the last financial year. Coun Gavin White, executive member for housing and development, told a meeting this week: "A lot of work is going on and rightly so after the tragic and heartbreaking case with Awaab Ishak which really shone a light on housing conditions in the city and in the UK, particularly in relation to damp and mould."
Oldham
Oldham Council has discussed Awaab's story with the organisations that manage its properties, who have been asked to outline what measures are in place to assess the quality of homes - including damp, mould and water ingress. They have also been asked to report on what further measures may need to be introduced, ahead of a meeting in January.
Officers are undertaking daily inspections of temporary accommodation, while social care workers are also discussing the issue, while the council intends to update its Private Sector Stock Condition survey to ensure private landlords bring their homes up to a safe standards. Coun Amanda Chadderton, leader of Oldham Council, added: "As a council we are doing everything we can to make sure no Oldham residents have to endure what Awaab and his family have."
Rochdale
Rochdale Council has no housing stock itself, but it can use enforcement powers where landlords do not respond appropriately to complaints and it can assist tenants in making complaints. Since Awaab's inquest, the council has seen 72 additional complaints linked to damp and mould, mostly from homes in the private rented sector.
The council says it 'immediately' assesses how severe damp and mould issues are when they are reported, before deciding on a best course of action. It is also carrying out joint inspections with RBH on a random sample of repairs to monitor the quality of the housing association's responses.
Meanwhile, RBH has appointed Yvonne Arrowsmith as interim chief executive from Monday (December 12) and has committed to meeting regularly with leaders at Rochdale Council. A new system of reporting damp and mould cases has been agreed, while a specialist damp and mould 'taskforce' has been set up to prioritise work, and a £1.2 million project to improve ventilation on the Freehold estate is underway.
Trafford
Trafford Council does not have its own housing stock, with registered housing providers such as Trafford Housing Trust responsible for social properties in the borough. The council says it is liaising with housing providers to ensure any issues to do with damp and mould are addressed following Awaab's inquest.
Wigan
Wigan Council is responsible for thousands of homes across the borough. Following Awaab's inquest, the council has put funding into its housing team to bring forward a review, checking for 'hazards' caused by damp and mould.
Charlotte Cordingley, director for housing, property and corporate assets at Wigan Council, told a meeting in November: "We are taking this extremely seriously as we know there is a potential respiratory problems people can suffer. As a result we have set up a local taskforce to start a review into our developments and an action plan to respond to that."
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