Damp and mould

Our response to recent events

Paul Moat, Chief Executive, NCHA:

Along with the rest of the country, we were horrified to hear of the tragic case of Awaab Ishak in Rochdale. We echo the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ sentiment in his 19 November letter, that everyone: ‘deserves to live in a home that is decent, safe and secure.’

As a social landlord, we are very conscious of our duty of care to our 20,000 tenants across the East Midlands, some of whom are incredibly vulnerable.

I want to reassure that we are being proactive in our response to the issues raised by the coroner’s report in the case. We will ensure that we learn from the mistakes that led to the tragic death of Awaab, and we welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively to improve standards.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be taking stock of the recommendations from the coroner’s report, the Regulator of Social Housing and Housing Ombudsman, to look at where we need to prioritise our efforts, make further improvements to our housing stock, and improve services.

We recognise the serious effects that damp and mould can have on a person’s health, and we will work to remove any barriers to customers accessing services and receiving prompt action.

We will continue to update our customers with our work in this area. If in the meantime, you have any specific concerns, please contact us.