‘Good safe housing should be a human right’: Andy Burnham supports Awaab’s law

Andy Burnham has backed calls for a new law to prevent any more children dying from damp and mouldy housing following the death of Awaab Ishak.

The Greater Manchester mayor said he ‘strongly supports’ the campaign to make sure no other child, or anyone else, dies due to mould in their home.

It comes almost a week after a coroner ruled that the two-year-old died due to prolonged exposure to damp and mould at his Rochdale home back in 2020.
 

Read more: Prolonged exposure to mould in RBH flat led to death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, inquest concludesPublished: 15 November 2022

Coroner Joanne Kearsley said his death should be a ‘defining moment’ for the housing sector and how it deals with an issue affecting homes across the UK.

Since then, more than 80,000 people have signed a petition calling for Awaab’s Law to make sure no one else dies due to mould in their home.

Speaking at a press conference about housing on Monday (21 November), Mr Burnham said Greater Manchester is ‘living in the shadow of Awaab’s death’.

He said: “Good safe housing should be a human right in the UK.

“We really welcome the campaign and strongly support what you’re saying.”

Mr Burnham spoke of the importance of housing standards in Greater Manchester, including in social housing such as in the Freehold estate where Awaab lived.

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), which owns and manages the estate, has been criticised for not carrying out repairs when it knew about the mould.

The Labour mayor praised housing secretary Michael Gove for taking a ‘strong stance’ and proposing a renters’ reform bill to improve standards for tenants.

However, he is calling for Greater Manchester to get new powers to tackle issues in the private rented sector during the latest round of devolution talks.

It comes as around 40% of homes in the city region’s private rented sector are estimated to be below the decent homes standard, according to the mayor.

Political leaders are also calling for a freeze or cap on rent in the private sector.

Joseph Timan, Local Democracy Reporter