'Housing in Rochdale needs investment': Andy Burnham asks why £1m pulled following Awaab Ishak death
Andy Burnham has questioned why the government is pulling £1m of funding from the housing association which failed to fix mould in Awaab Ishak's home. The Greater Manchester mayor said that the two-year-old's death should be a 'defining moment', but investment will be needed to improve social housing.
The toddler died as a direct result of prolonged exposure to mould, according to coroner Joanne Kearsley, who ruled RBH should have dealt with the issue. The housing association, whose chief executive Gareth Swarbrick has since been sacked, has now lost £1m of Affordable Homes Programme funding.Mr Gove has said that 'RBH will not receive a penny of additional taxpayer's money for new housing until it gets its act together and does right by tenants'.
"I would probably want to see the conditions. If Michael Gove is saying, 'until you do x, y and z, we will hold this money back,' that might be a fair enough move. Nevertheless, he said steps are being taken by housing providers across Greater Manchester to 'win back the confidence' of residents and councils. The Labour mayor also praised the Secretary of State for showing 'real intent' to regulate social and private rented housing in a bid to drive up standards.
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