'After Awaab, nobody can ignore damp and mould anymore... a lot of us did'

The boss tasked with turning Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) around says Awaab Ishak's legacy is the end of 'lifestyle' being blamed for damp and mould. Yvonne Arrowsmith was brought into RBH as interim chief executive last December with the housing association dealing with the aftermath of Awaab's inquest.

The toddler died aged two in December 2020 following prolonged exposure to mould at a property on RBH's Freehold estate, with coroner Joanne Kearsley describing the tragedy as a 'defining moment' for the social housing sector. A Manchester Evening News investigation last summer found other tenants were suffering in similar conditions, including children with breathing difficulties.

RBH inspected the Freehold flats following the M.E.N.'s work and found a staggering 80% of homes affected by damp and mould - more than 18 months after Awaab had died. Ms Arrowsmith said: "It wasn't until [the M.E.N.] went to Freehold that RBH went to Freehold.

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"I think the M.E.N. led on this and I think that's been great. It has been that catalyst for change. Awaab's Law, for me... it means that no one can ignore it anymore.

"And I think that as a sector, not everyone, but a lot of us did. We just said, oh it's lifestyle, open your window - it was that kind of [attitude], and nobody thinks that anymore."

The idea that damp and mould was the fault of tenants is one that the Housing Ombudsman had already been urging social landlords to abandon. But it sat at the heart of Awaab's story.

His inquest heard how assumptions were made by RBH workers about the bathing habits of Awaab's family, ultimately leading to damp and mould, based on their