Up to 12,825 homes are to be treated for mould and damp problems across Greater Manchester following the release of government funding. In June, the secretary of state for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove gave Greater Manchester Combined Authority £15m to tackle damp and mould health hazards. This came in the wake of two-year-old Awaab Ishak’s death in Rochdale, who died in December 2020 as a result of exposure to mould in his home. This money was distributed among 17 housing associations across GM in order to deal with high risk damp and mould issues as well as preventative works. Housing providers across the city region were invited to bid for a share of the Social Housing Quality Fund on the condition that they match the funding by 25 per cent. Different levels of funding were available depending on the severity of any problems and the improvements being proposed. The highest proportion of funds went to the boroughs of Rochdale, Salford and Manchester. All the work must be completed before March 31, 2024, Greater Manchester Planning and Housing Commission were told at their latest meeting. Cases of damp and mould were divided into six bands, with Bands 1 and 2 being the most severe and the highest risk to health and safety. Across GM, a total of 109 and 1,387 homes were categorised as Band 1 and 2 respectively. The speed of this process, which started in June 2023, was described as ‘vital’ by Coun Gavin White, executive member for housing and development at Manchester Council. This is yet another legacy left following the tragic death of the toddler Awaab Ishak – after Awaab’s Law becoming a reality back in July. The new law sets strict timelines in which damp and mould, and other health and safety hazards, must be inspected and repaired by landlords. The list of each GM borough and how many houses they received funding to tackle damp and mould issues: Bolton: 934 Bury: 561 Manchester: 2,167 Oldham: 738 Rochdale: 4,307 Salford: 2,886 Stockport: 438 Tameside: 83 Trafford: 458 Wigan: 19 The list of housing associations, the number of homes they plan to treated, and the amount of grant funding they were given: Bolton at Home: 934 homes, £2,263,700 in funding FCHO: 541 homes, £480,679 in funding ForHousing: 250 homes, £250,000 in funding Great Places: 130 homes, £570,990 in funding Irwell Valley Housing: 990 homes, £757,577 in funding MSV Housing Group: 267 homes, £475,333 in funding One Manchester: 434 homes, £2,950,117 in funding Onward Homes: 250 homes, £526,500 in funding Places for People: 222 homes, £376,491 in funding Rochdale Boroughwide Housing: 3,721 homes, £1,846,843 in funding Salix Homes: 2,349 homes, £679,683 in funding Six Town Housing: 166 homes, £520,607 in funding Southway Housing Trust: 557 homes, £253,156 in funding Stockport Homes: 45 homes, £168,355 in funding The Guinness Partnership 1,100 homes, £1,267,163 in funding The Riverside Group: 234 homes, £899,587 in funding WCHG: 645 homes, £556,530 in funding
