Gove withdraws £1m of funding to RBH following death of Awaab Ishak

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing has been stripped of £1m in government funding, Michael Gove has announced.

RBH will not receive its expected £1m funding from the Affordable Homes Programme (AHP 2021-26) or receive any new AHP contracts for new homes, until the Regulator of Social Housing has concluded its investigation and it can prove it is a responsible landlord.

The move comes after two-year-old Awaab Ishak tragically died of a respiratory infection caused by mould and damp in an RBH-managed flat on the Freehold estate.
 

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

Housing Secretary Michael Gove said: “RBH failed its tenants so it will not receive a penny of additional taxpayers’ money for new housing until it gets its act together and does right by tenants.

“Let this be a warning to other housing providers who are ignoring complaints and failing in their obligations to tenants. We will not hesitate to act.

“Everyone deserves the right to live in safe, decent home and this government will always act to protect tenants.”

The government will also continue to monitor housing standards of RBH tenancies closely, working with the Regulator and Ombudsman, to ensure that tenants have appropriate housing.
 

Read more: Rochdale councillors want a place on RBH board following sacking of chief execPublished: 23 November 2022

As part of a wider crackdown on poor standards, the Housing Secretary will also block any housing provider that breaches the Regulator’s consumer standards from new AHP funding until they make improvements.

Mr Gove will also consider stripping providers of existing AHP funding, unless construction has already started on site.

The move comes after Mr Gove wrote to all councils and housing associations this weekend, saying they must raise the bar dramatically on standards and demanding urgent action where people complain about damp and mould.

 

 

The Regulator of Social Housing has demanded evidence from all housing association and local authority landlords this week, showing they are identifying and dealing with damp and mould issues in their homes.

Action will be taken where standards are not being met.

A spokesperson at RBH said: "We are completely focused on our existing homes and we welcome the opportunity to work with the regulator on that."
 

Read more: Gareth Swarbrick sacked by RBH board in u-turn after previously backing the chief exec to stay in positionPublished: 20 November 2022