The councillor leading calls for Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) to be stripped of its properties has spoken of his heartbreak that Awaab Ishak's situation only came to light when it was too late. The toddler died aged two in December 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould at his home on the Freehold estate, leading to fatal breathing difficulties, his inquest heard.
RBH is now under fire following the conclusion of Awaab's inquest last week. On Saturday, the housing association announced chief executive Gareth Swarbrick had been 'removed' from his post after he faced growing calls to stand down.
The organisation previously managed Rochdale's council housing as an 'arms-length' body until 2012, when it split from Rochdale Council and took on its remaining housing stock.
