Michael Gove has promised £30m to improve social housing following the tragic death of toddler Awaab Ishak - with £15m going to Greater Manchester.
The Levelling Up secretary said it is a key aim of the government to make sure 'all homes are warm and safe as we know poor housing kills'.
The money will be split equally - £15m apiece - between Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.
"The tragic death of Awaab Ishak rightly reinforced the need for action and improving the quality of homes in which every citizen lives is not only a Levelling Up mission but also a personal mission for me," he told delegates at the Convention of the North at Manchester Central Convention Centre.
READ MORE: The housing bosses who failed Awaab Ishak
"Today we'll be allocating £30m for Greater Manchester and the West Midlands to start making improvements on the quality of social housing - funding devolved direct to the mayors to make a difference to real people."
During a detailed speech that spanned more than 35 minutes, Mr Gove held London's Docklands up as a beacon of Levelling Up success and announced his intention give devolved powers to areas such as Cheshire and Lancashire.
Mr Gove said the mayoral model has been a success, pointing to the achievements of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and West Midlands Mayor Andy Street.
Referring to negotiations on the trailblazer deals he said he is in talks to 'strengthen the hand' of both leaders.
"While I don't always agree with Andy Burnham - indeed it would be fatal for his career if I did - I must acknowledge that both Andy Burnham and Andy Street use the mayoral model powerfully and effectively for their communities," he said.
"Both recognise that the mayor's central role is economic development and the regeneration projects that they are delivering are turning derelict brown fields into nurseries of investment."
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