Approximately 6,000 issues about moist and mould ended up created to ombudsman following loss of life of Awaab Ishak

Complaints about leaks, damp and mould experienced in England’s social housing have flooded in adhering to the death of Awaab Ishak, new figures expose.

Well being impacts of lousy-high quality social housing have more and more been in the highlight after a coroner dominated that the two yr-old died of extended exposure to mould in his Rochdale residence in December 2020.

A Independence of Info ask for by Radar revealed 5,838 problems about leaks, moist and mould had been manufactured to the Ombudsman in the a few many years to March 2022. 

Of these, 3,915 had been about houses managed by housing associations, and 1,861 have been for housing presented by or on behalf of neighborhood authorities. 

Awaab Ishak tragically died from a respiratory problem in December 2020, just in excess of a 7 days just after his second birthday

The Housing Ombudsman investigates complaints created about social housing companies, this sort of as housing associations, nearby authorities and housing co-operatives. 

Alex Diner, a senior researcher on housing at the New Economics Basis, named it a ‘national disgrace’ that thousands and thousands of family members across England are dwelling in ‘dangerous’ properties. 

He said: ‘The surprising demise of Awaab Ishak demonstrates the Federal government should settle for responsibility and do significantly a lot more to push up criteria in the social housing sector, to empower tenants and to strengthen the rotten tradition that even now exists in these failing councils and housing associations.’

The quantity of grievances has risen far more than 17-fold in latest decades – there were 3,741 issues about leaks, damp and mould in 2021/22, when there were being just 212 in 2019/20, together with a even more 400 grievances about ‘leaks and floods’ that calendar year.

The Ombudsman reported this may be owing to improved recording tactics and increased media notice on the problem in the earlier 12 months.

A Flexibility of Data request by Radar uncovered 5,838 issues about leaks, moist and mould were being built to the Ombudsman in the three decades to March 2022

In response to the findings, the National Housing Federation said operate ‘has currently started to make improvements to the quality any households and expert services that have fallen short’. 

It explained every housing association property will be checked for issues these kinds of as moist and mould and any problems fastened, next suggestions in a evaluation it commissioned together with the Chartered Institute of Housing. 

Nationally, there had been also 2,579 issues about heating and sizzling water in social housing from 2019/20 to 2021/22. 

Issues might tumble into multiple categories – so a one complaint could be about difficulties with equally hot drinking water and mould, for instance.

The Nearby Govt Affiliation, which represents nearby authorities, mentioned councils ‘fully support’ attempts to boost requirements in the rental sector. 

David Renard, the organisation’s housing spokesman, explained any new obligations for community authorities will have to have to be ‘adequately funded’. 

The range of grievances has risen extra than 17-fold in latest yrs – there have been 3,741 grievances about leaks, moist and mould in 2021/22, although there have been just 212 in 2019/20

Even though the majority of issues from the very last economical year are nonetheless to be given a final end result, in 2020/21 there were 334 complaints throughout England regarding leaks, moist and mould exactly where the housing service provider was finally uncovered to be in the incorrect. 

Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway said landlords ought to take a ‘zero-tolerance approach’ to tackling moist and mould. 

He explained landlords should really prevent blaming the ‘lifestyle choices’ of their tenants for difficulties with their attributes and instead take a proactive tactic to working with them. 

The mom of Ella Adoo Kissi-Debrah beforehand hit out at a housing affiliation for displaying a ‘lack of humanity and care’ subsequent the tragic death of two-calendar year-previous Awaab Ishak because of to residing in a mould-infested flat. 

Housing charity Shelter reported the Social Housing Regulation Bill, which is at the moment going as a result of parliament, is ‘long overdue’. 

Polly Neate, the charity’s chief govt, reported: ‘As effectively as a lot tighter regulation, we also require to see greater governing administration expense in social housing, equally to increase the houses we currently have and to create higher quality new kinds.’ 

A spokesman for the Division for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities stated the Bill would increase the high-quality of social housing. 

They reported the Housing Secretary Michael Gove would block authorities funding to any housing service provider breaching consumer requirements.