The father of a two-year-old boy who died after being exposed to mould in his Rochdale home has expressed his desire for those responsible to be held accountable. Faisal Abdullah repeatedly raised the issue of the mould with Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), but no action was taken. Awaab Ishak died in December 2020 following exposure to the mould.
RBH has apologised for Awaab’s death and acknowledged its failure to take appropriate action. The organisation has been stripped of £1m in funds for new housing by the government as a result of its handling of the case.
Mr Abdullah has now initiated civil action against RBH. He has claimed that he was treated with racism and that his requests for action were dismissed because of his background.
Following his son’s death, Mr Abdullah campaigned for a change in the law requiring speedy investigation and repair of damp and mould by landlords. The Social Housing Act, known as Awaab’s law, came into force in July, imposing time limits on these activities.
RBH claimed that 70% of its properties had been inspected a year following Awaab’s death, with all inspections expected to have been completed by early next year. RBH’s new CEO has stated her commitment to creating a culture of listening to customers and responding promptly to their concerns
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