It took a child’s death for the country to listen
IT’S not every day you open the door to a politician, not least a government minister. Such is the enormity of the scandal that has unfolded on the Freehold estate.
For people living in the neighbourhood, the media spotlight in recent days has been intense.
The tragic case of Awaab Ishak has thrust poor social housing conditions onto the national news agenda.
At the centre of it all, a grieving family fighting for change, having been ignored for so long.
Finally, their voices are being heard; their earlier desperate pleas a shameful indictment on the housing association that should have taken action.
Michael Gove’s visit on Thursday was welcome.
He made all the right noises as he vowed to make Awaab’s Law a reality, overwhelmingly backing our sister paper the Manchester Evening News’ campaign .
The truth is, Mr Gove should never have had to visit the Freehold estate.
We should never have had to launch this campaign.
A coroner should never have had to explore the case of a two-year-old child dying because of his damp, poorly ventilated home - a home ‘unfit for human habitation.’ We are, of course, deeply indebted to every single reader who has signed our petition in Awaab’s name. At the time of writing, that’s nearly 125,000.
Thank you. Together, we are on the brink of achieving something extraordinary. But this isn’t about us. It’s about Awaab - and the people who continue to suffer in Rochdale Borough Housing (RBH) properties, and poor accommodation across the rest of Greater Manchester and the UK.
As coroner Joanne Kearsley put it, this must be a ‘defining moment.’
Until Awaab’s Law is passed in Parliament, our collective goal will not have been achieved. We can only hope, as Mr Gove has promised, it will happen soon.
When the media circus ends, we must remain focused and ensure we continue to capitalise on this momentum.
We cannot allow this to become a missed opportunity.
For the time being, RBH bosses - and anyone else in a position of power at any housing association across the country - must ensure every person in every one of their properties is living comfortably, not fearing for their health.
We’ve been inundated with details of similar, harrowing cases. We’ll continue to continue to fight for those who feel unheard.
It took a child’s death for the country to listen.
In Awaab’s name, never again.