Residents of social housing properties managed by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) have met to discuss ongoing issues with damp and mould, which some fear could be causing health problems. The group shared their stories at a meeting in a local pub, more than a year after a coroner found that two-year-old Awaab Ishak died from a respiratory condition caused by exposure to mould in his family’s RBH home. The landlord was strongly criticised at the time, and the government has since proposed “Awaab’s law,” which would force rogue social housing landlords to repair mouldy homes within 24 hours. Some tenants have now claimed that problems with damp and mould have returned within weeks of remedial work done by RBH, and that it is difficult to contact the company to report issues.
One resident, Leah Nuttall, claimed that her family had been told by the landlord that their problems with mould were “due to them breathing too much at night.” Another tenant, Sean Doyle, said that he had waited for RBH workers who failed to turn up, costing him lost wages. Tania Walsh reported that she and her family had suffered “constant chest infections.” Despite some measures to address these issues, some residents have suggested that RBH is failing to fully resolve the problems and is offering only short-term fixes. In a statement, Amanda Newton, RBH’s CEO, apologised for the situation and said that the company was working to carry out necessary repairs, offering additional ventilation to some properties and introducing a comprehensive training programme to improve customer service.
Although RBH is not alone in these issues, demand for specialist contractors means that the problem is likely to continue in the sector overall. Residents experiencing problems are encouraged to make formal complaints or contact RBH directly, and the company has vowed to prioritise the homes and families affected
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