The tragic death of 2-year-old Awaab Ishak, ruled in November to have been directly caused by chronic exposure to black mould in his home, has led to an increase in calls for more protections and regulations in social housing. While the mould was first reported by Awaab’s father in 2017, nothing was done to fix the problem until Awaab’s death in 2020. In addition, an inspection of the house and visit by an NHS health visitor found that the flat was both “unfit for human habitation” and posed a serious threat to Awaab’s health. However, after the tragedy Rochdale Boroughwide Housing refused to take even partial responsibility for the mould until the conclusion of a legal inquest.
BAME groups are more likely to rent or live in social housing, putting them at greater risks of being impacted if protections against deadly mould are not passed by Parliament. This tragedy comes in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, where 72 people lost their lives, of which 57 were from BAME groups. Further inquiries after the incident found that concerns of residents were similarly ignored, concerns which could have led to the prevention of the tragedy.
Michael Gove, Secretary of State for levelling up, communities, and housing, called the death of Awaab “an unacceptable tragedy”, and renewed calls for additional legislation to be introduced to ensure it didn’t happen again.
Following the inquest to the tragedy, Gove has announced the removal of government funding for the housing body responsible for the conditions present in the flat. However, it is vital that in the light of the information surrounding Awaab’s death, the government should take the opportunity to implement additional protections for renters. Gove’s words show there is already an appetite in the cabinet for doing so, and the passage of new regulation for social housing can help prevent another tragedy like this from occurring.