Tenants vs. Social Landlords: Is Your Home Really Livable?

In 2020, the heartbreaking death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak due to prolonged exposure to mold in his family’s social housing unit captured national attention. His parents, Faisal and Aisha, transformed their profound sorrow into a relentless advocacy effort, culminating in the creation of Awaab’s Law. This significant legislation mandates that social housing providers address issues like mold, dampness, and other hazards effectively and within set deadlines.

Awaab’s Law enshrines a fundamental principle: the right of every individual to inhabit a safe and habitable home. By legally obligating social landlords to promptly rectify serious housing issues, this law represents a triumph of justice, humanity, and pragmatism.

The efforts of Awaab’s parents in the wake of such tragedy deserve immense commendation. They have made sure that their son’s tragic fate sparks a critical overhaul in the social housing sector, which has been plagued by too much complacency and neglect at the cost of human lives. I offer my deepest admiration and gratitude to them for their bravery, which will undoubtedly save many future lives.

However, the enactment of Awaab’s Law is merely the beginning. Currently, its provisions only apply to social housing, which includes council and housing association properties. This leaves a significant number of private renters and families in temporary accommodations without protection, despite often facing similar or worse living conditions.

Every week, I hear from individuals enduring life in homes plagued by mold, leaky roofs, non-functioning heaters, or hazardous electrical wiring. Many of these dwellings are under private ownership or are council properties managed by private entities. The scenes of mothers scrubbing toxic mold from walls as their children suffer from asthma attacks at night, and of families confined to a single room because the rest of their house is uninhabitable, are all too common and deeply distressing.

If Awaab’s Law truly embodies the principle that no one should live in unsafe conditions, then its protections must extend beyond social housing. The private rental market houses over 11 million people in England, many of whom are among the most vulnerable in society. These individuals often feel powerless, risk retaliatory eviction for lodging complaints, and are forced to pay exorbitant rents for substandard housing.

Furthermore, the situation for those in temporary housing is grim. Intended as a short-term solution for the homeless, it often becomes a protracted predicament. Over 100,000 households, which include more than 172,000 children, are currently housed in temporary accommodations in England, frequently in conditions that are just as dire as those found in neglected social housing.

It is not enough to applaud Awaab’s Law while ignoring those who continue to suffer. Expanding the law to cover private and temporary accommodations would hold all landlords to the same essential standards of safety and habitability, within enforceable timeframes.

Yet, even broadening the law’s scope will be insufficient without proper funding and enforcement. Local authorities are currently under-resourced, with environmental health and housing enforcement teams stretched thin, struggling to keep up with even basic inspections. Adequate funding for staffing, training, and legal resources is crucial, or else Awaab’s Law risks becoming a well-meaning but ineffective statute.

This issue transcends mere housing concerns; it’s a public health crisis. Poor housing conditions contribute to respiratory problems, mental health issues, and other serious health conditions, costing the NHS approximately £1.4 billion annually. Addressing these issues is not only a moral obligation but also an economic imperative.

For Awaab’s legacy to foster genuine change, three actions are essential: expand the law to include private renters and those in temporary accommodations, ensure local authorities have the resources to enforce the law effectively, and protect tenants from eviction or retaliation when they report unsafe conditions.

We owe this to Awaab, his parents, and every child who tonight sleeps in a cold, damp, and dangerous home.

Awaab’s Law is a testament to the power of grassroots activism in instigating real change. Yet, it also serves as a reminder that the battle for safe housing is ongoing. We have made a crucial advancement, but now we must ensure no one is left behind.

Our work will not be complete until every family, in every type of housing, can live in conditions of safety and dignity.

• Kwajo Tweneboa is a housing activist