Hundreds of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) homes still have damp and mould issues - and the person tasked with turning things around admits that number will grow before it falls. Awaab Ishak died two years ago, eight days on from his second birthday, following prolonged exposure to mould at his home on the Freehold estate.
The mould, which RBH knew about for several months without carrying out repairs, led to the breathing difficulties that caused the toddler to suffer a fatal cardiac arrest. His inquest came months after the Manchester Evening News revealed Awaab's family were not the only ones dealing with mould on the estate, with other children taken to hospital with breathing issues.
"It was shocking," said Yvonne Arrowsmith, who became RBH's interim chief executive on Monday, December 12. "I sat on the outside, like everyone else, I saw it in the media.
