A petition calling for a new UK law to prevent any more children dying from damp and mouldy social housing has been launched.
It comes following the tragic death of young Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 after mould and damp was left untreated for years at his home in Rochdale.
Awaab's Law would mean all housing associations are legally obliged not to allow anybody to dwell in uninhabitable conditions - such as those the toddler suffered for so long.
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ChronicleLive's sister site The Manchester Evening News, has launched an online petition which has quickly gained traction - accumulating almost 40,000 signatures since being launched this week.
You can sign it here.
Coroner Joanne Kearsley ruled that two-year-old Awaab died as a direct result of his prolonged exposure to both damp and mould found at the one-bedroom flat he resided at on the Freehold housing estate. His death was branded as a 'defining moment' for the housing sector, as an inquest heard that action was not taken by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing to treat or prevent the mould.
Now, the MEN has teamed up with Shelter to launch a petition calling for Awaab's Law - which would see landlords required to investigate the causes of damp and mould within a 14-day time window of complaints being made. It would also require them to provide tenants with a detailed report of findings.
Furthermore, it would grant social landlords just seven days to begin repair work, in the circumstance that a medical professional believes there to be a risk to a tenant's health and wellbeing. The law, if passed, will also ensure that bids for new social housing properties are treated as a high priority - in the case that a medical specialist recommends a tenant moves home due to health risks at an existing property.
It will also mandate social landlords to provide tenants with information on their personal rights, how to make a complaint, and what standards they should expect under the Housing Health and Safety Rating system - provided in English or a tenant's native language.
The petition also calls for all MPs and peers to support the current Social Housing Regulation Bill which is passing through parliament. If approved, this would bring back essential regulation on consumer standards for social housing.
The petition also urges for the bill to be strengthened with the use of Ofsted-style inspections at short notice, as well as increased professionalism of housing management, in a bid to improve the experience of tenants.
Recording her damning conclusion on Tuesday, Ms Kearsley said: "I'm sure I am not alone in asking how does this happen? How in the UK in 2020 does a two-year-old child die from exposure to mould in his home?
"The evidence from this inquest quite clearly showed that this issue is not simply a Rochdale problem. Nor is damp and mould simply a social housing problem."
You can sign the petition here.
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