Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) will not receive its expected £1m funding from the Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) or receive any new AHP contracts for new homes, until the Regulator of Social Housing has finished its investigation and it can prove it is a responsible landlord.
The government will also continue to monitor housing standards of the landlord’s tenancies working with the regulator and ombudsman, to ensure that tenants have appropriate housing.
The Rochdale-based association was the landlord responsible for the accommodation that toddler Awaab Ishak and his parents lived in. A coroner ruled that Awaab died from a respiratory condition caused by mould in a one-bed flat in December 2020 that was managed by the association. His parents had repeatedly complained about the mould.
The government’s move is part of a wider crackdown on poor standards.
Gove will block any housing provider that breaches the regulator’s consumer standards from new AHP funding until it makes improvements.
He will also consider stripping providers of existing AHP funding, unless construction has already started on site.
The housing secretary has written to all councils and housing associations telling to raise the bar dramatically on standards and demanding urgent action where people complain about damp and mould.
The government has also allocated £14m to seven councils which high numbers of poor private rented homes to tackle rogue landlords and improve housing standards.
“RBH failed its tenants so it will not receive a penny of additional taxpayers’ money for new housing until it gets its act together and does right by tenants,” said Gove.
“Let this be a warning to other housing providers who are ignoring complaints and failing in their obligations to tenants. We will not hesitate to act.
“Everyone deserves the right to live in safe, decent home and this government will always act to protect tenants.”
