Complaints about damp, mould and leaks have surged over the past couple of years, a new report has found. It comes as action is being promised in the wake of Awaab Ishak's tragic death.
The two-year-old died following prolonged exposure to damp and mould at his home on the Freehold estate, in Rochdale. His inquest revealed that Rochdale Boroughwide Housing knew about the issue for several months, but failed to act.
Yesterday (February 2) a new report has highlighted that complaints and enquiries about damp, mould and leaks to England's Housing Ombudsman soared by 77% from 2020-21 to 2021-22 - from 1,993 to 3,530. And with two months left to go in 2022-23, that figure is on track to be beaten again, as 3,969 were made so far this year as of December.
READ MORE: Michael Gove admits 'such a clear need' to change law following Awaab Ishak death
Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: "The inquest into the death of Awaab Ishak has focused the minds of the sector. But we are continually finding in our casework that landlords have not responded to this issue with sufficient urgency."
The findings follow the earlier Spotlight report from the Housing Ombudsman, which urged social landlords to move away from the idea of damp and mould being an issue caused by tenants' 'lifestyle'. Mr Blakeway discussed the report at Awaab's inquest last November, telling coroner Joanne Kearsley: "Damp and mould is, if you like, a symptom and the causes can be structural or non-structural."
He added: "The report acknowledges there may be factors like fuel poverty, age and design of homes, which may make the risk of damp and mould greater. Our report was to say that those are known risks and therefore it's important for them to think about their approach to make sure they address those known challenges."
Mr Blakeway accepts many landlords are 'stregnthening their approach' following Awaab's inquest - but there is still work to be done. "Landlords need to have a sustained focus on culture and behaviours to ensure issues are not dismissed," he said.
"The human impact and consequence of the creeping normalisation of poor culture was highlighted by the death of Awaab Ishak. It is disappointing when we conducted our review how few landlords had acted to implement a dedicated damp and mould policy, despite there being a clear and driving need to have a bespoke response for these reports given the shortcomings identified in our casework."
The Housing Ombudsman's report comes on the same day as a review from the Regulator of Social Housing, which found tens of thousands of social housing properties across England have 'notable' levels of damp and mould. A survey of housing providers, following Awaab's inquest, found that of more than four million homes, one to two per cent have 'serious' levels of damp and mould, while three to four per cent have notable damp and mould.
The regulator estimates less than 0.2 per cent of social homes have the most serious damp and mould problems. It says it will follow up with housing providers who reported high levels of damp and mould cases, or provided 'poor quality responses' to the survey.
Fiona MacGregor, chief executive, said: “Tenants deserve quality services and homes that are safe and of a decent standard. Where there are issues, landlords need to act now to put things right, before we start our active consumer regulation including inspections of providers.
“We expect all providers to continue to look at how they can improve the way they identify and address damp and mould." Last week, housing secretary Michael Gove announced £15m to improve social housing in Greater Manchester following Awaab's death, along with a further £15m for the West Midlands.
It's understood that discussions are ongoing between Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the DLUHC about how the cash can be used following Mr Gove's announcement at the Convention of the North, in Manchester. "The tragic death of Awaab Ishak rightly reinforced the need for action and improving the quality of homes in which every citizen lives is not only a Levelling Up mission but also a personal mission for me," he told delegates.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has been in discussions with representatives of Awaab's family on how Awaab's Law could put on the statute books. It's understood an amendment could be made to the Social Housing Regulation Bill currently going through Parliament, following the Manchester Evening News' campaign.
READ NEXT:
Warning over 'toxic mould' scammers targeting households after Awaab Ishak death
'A defining moment': Exactly how the tragic case of Awaab Ishak will bring about meaningful change
Awaab's Law: What ministers' response means, what's next and what we must never forget
"Our houses aren't just embarrassing - we're worried they could kill"
Homes on tragic Awaab Ishak's estate were finally inspected... and 80% had damp and mould
