80% of homes hit by damp and mould on Awaab tragedy estate

THE huge scale of how widespread damp and mould was on Awaab Ishak's estate has been revealed.

- STEPHEN TOPPING

The toddler died two years ago, on December 21, 2020, following prolonged exposure to mould.

Over the summer, the M.E.N. spoke to other families on the Freehold estate in Rochdale, which is owned and managed by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH). They described similar conditions at their homes, with stubborn battles against damp and mould, and children suffering breathing issues.

That investigation prompted RBH to inspect every property on the estate, with the findings now revealed by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). It says that as many as four in five properties were affected by damp and mould that RBH was unaware of - with the worst cases amounting to a 'category one' hazard.

Following further investigation in the aftermath of Awaab's inquest, the RSH downgraded RBH to 'G3' last week, meaning it is not compliant with governance requirements.

A regulatory notice from the RSH says: "During the summer of 2022, following media reports about conditions on the Freehold Estate, RBH began visiting all properties on the estate to assess for damp and mould.