Gove addresses parliament on social housing standards

Secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities Michael Gove has addressed parliament on social housing standards.

The address follows the death of Awaab Ishak, which a coroner recently concluded was linked to mould in his flat.

The two-year-old died in December 2020, after prolonged exposure to mould in his one-bedroom flat in Rochdale.

According to reports, his parents repeatedly raised concerns about the condition of their home to their landlord, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, the local housing association.

Gove said: "Rochdale Boroughwide Housing’s repeated failure to heed Awaab’s family’s pleas to remove the mould in their damp-ridden property was a terrible dereliction of duty.

"Worse still, the apparent attempts by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing to attribute the existence of mould to the actions of Awaab’s parents was beyond insensitive and deeply unprofessional.

It was also pointed out that the inaction of the landlord was rooted in prejudice.

Gove announced that the government is to bring forward further reforms, with the Second Reading of the Social Housing Regulation Bill being debated in the House of Commons last week. The Bill was inspired by the experience of tenants leading to the Grenfell fire.

Gove said that he has spoken to the chair and the chief executive of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing and the MPs for Rochdale and Heywood and Middleton.

He said he would act immediately on the recommendations of the coroner.

Gove said: "Let me be perfectly clear, since some landlords apparently still need to hear this from this House: every single person in this country, irrespective of where they’re from, what they do, or how much they earn, deserves to live in a home that is decent, safe and secure. And that is the relentless focus of my department and I know everyone across this House."

Image: Chris McAndrew / UK Parliament