There was an exhaustion that had overcome the families I spoke to on Rochdale's Freehold estate last summer. After years of trying to get their voices heard - trying to have their homes made safe for their children - they'd had enough.
More than a year had passed since the death of Awaab Ishak, a little boy from a refugee family who no one on the estate seemed to know. Once his tale had been told, there was sorrow and anger.
From the moment we first knew about Awaab Ishak, one thing was clear - that his name must never be forgotten. The breakthrough on Awaab's Law announced yesterday gives us hope that he will have a lasting legacy.
Following a campaign which won the support of tens of thousands, housing secretary Michael Gove told Awaab's family the plans to make Awaab's Law a reality. Once statute, it would give landlords a set timeframe to deal with damp and mould issues.
And social landlords failing to comply would be dragged before the courts. As Awaab's father, Faisal Abdullah, put it following his meeting with Mr Gove yesterday: "My wife and I still struggle to deal with the loss of our son, but we are finally starting to feel like we are being treated fairly."
Awaab should never have had to die for the voices of social tenants struggling with unsafe homes to be heard. The ordeal will always be a stain on Greater Manchester's soul.
But finally, there is a glimmer of hope to come from such a painful tragedy. While his story focused on one estate, in one town, the problems of damp and mould are not confined to Rochdale.
Last week, England's Housing Ombudsman said it had received almost 4,000 complaints about damp, mould and leaks between April and December 2022. The Regulator of Social Housing estimates at least three per cent of social housing across England has 'notable' damp and mould.
Thousands of others share the difficulties that tenants on the Freehold estate have faced. Awaab's Law will change lives up and down the country.
The campaign for Awaab's Law has taken a huge leap forward with amendments put forward onto the Social Housing Regulations Bill, which will also include clear information for tenants on their rights. Councils and the housing sector will be reminded of the health risks of damp and mould, while Ofsted-style inspections for social landlords are on the way.
We're almost there. But we aren't quite there yet.
MPs of all political stripes must get behind this Bill, as amended in Awaab's memory. The consultation on timeframes should be done as soon as possible to ensure real change for some of our country's most vulnerable people can finally be achieved.
It's now over to politicians to make sure Awaab's name is never forgotten.
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