The coroner’s verdict reported on 15 November 2022 that Awaab Ishak died, aged two, as a consequence of exposure to mould in his family’s one-bedroom flat makes for disturbing reading. In asking how this could happen in 2020 though, the coroner maybe displays a lack of awareness of housing conditions within the rental sector in the UK.
Numerous surveys in recent years have reported problems with mould. A Shelter/YouGov survey in 2021 found that almost half of tenants have mould, something that is affecting the health of millions of people. The BBC reported that almost 10% of properties in the private rental sector have damp problems.
The fact that it is only now, with mould being explicitly being linked to the death of Awaab, that this serious health issue is being highlighted on the front pages is concerning. Housing affected by mould is not a minor problem. The Guardian reports that around 450,000 homes in England are affected by either mould or condensation.
In asking how the death of Awaab Ishak could happen in 2020 in the UK, it is useful to consider how the relationship between the state and renters has changed over time. Michael Gove, the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities secretary, has suggested that the Housing Association that provided the flat to Awaab’s family, bears responsibility. Awaab’s parents claim that racism underpins the tragedy and, whilst that may be a factor in this case, the extent of homes with damp across the country indicate that the problem is more widespread. This has significant repercussions for all families who depend on the rental sector.
In terms of this being an issue about children, it is worth considering how housing is important because of the way in which it underpins security and stability. The actions taken by the state shape the lives of children and families because of the ways in which the state can regulate our access to housing and in establish the standard of the housing that is available. This is something that is causing deep concern at a time of housing shortages and a cost-of-living crisis.
Importantly though, the contemporary landscape of housing within the UK is not accidental. It hasn’t just happened. The state has been active in restructuring housing, and this has real consequences for children and families. Gove may foreground responsibility for this tragedy on to the Housing Association, but it is neoliberal ideology that has contributed to a much wider housing crisis in the UK.
After the Second World War the state aimed to ensure that decent quality housing was available to all. Slums were replaced with subsidised housing and renting through local authorities, commonly referred to as council housing became the norm for renters. As Council Housing has declined, Housing Associations such as Rochdale Boroughwide Housing have become more important in providing homes for families on low incomes, or like Awaab’s family, families seeking refuge.
Neoliberal ideology has led to two key changes in housing. Firstly, council housing was privatised through the sale of council houses to tenants. This saw the overall stock of council housing being reduced significantly. Secondly, the Housing Act 1988, saw a major increase in the availability of housing provided by private landlords, facilitated by the introduction of Buy to Let mortgages. It allowed landlords to charge market rents, meaning that they can charge whatever they want for a property, and introduced assured shorthold tenancies, only giving tenants security for short, fixed terms, usually 6 months to 1 year. Both things cause insecurity and financial hardship for families.
Following these developments what we see by the 2020s is a consensus that housing, the thing that provides security and stability to families, is in crisis.
In itself, there is nothing wrong with the shift from renting properties from a local authority to renting from a private landlord or housing association. Across the world this is common. However, renting in many countries usually comes with much more security for tenants as well as restrictions on rent rises. In the UK, the rental market has become a lucrative business for both private landlords and housing associations, especially if the salary of Mr Swarbrick of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing is the norm. Profits come at a cost to the health, and now the life, of children.
In our forthcoming book Children, Families and the State we discuss our concerns about housing and the impact on children’s lives. It is evident that poor standards have been endemic in the private rental sector for some time and although some improvements may have been made, this does not help the most vulnerable in society experiencing the worst housing conditions. Given that council housing was seen as a solution to poor quality housing it is concerning, though maybe not surprising, that the loss of council housing has also seen the return of poor-quality housing conditions. However, the privatising of council housing and promoting the expansion of the Private Sector was a political decision. It was done on purpose and by Gove’s party.
Awaab’s death should serve as a reminder of how political decisions based on profits, have an impact on children’s lives. Their futures should be assessed in a way which takes housing into account as a basis of their security, wellbeing and health. In this way we might consider that for some children, their experiences of poor housing may make it harder for them to escape the conditions of their childhood and result in them having a good life, or any life at all.
Fiona Corby is Senior Lecturer in Education at Teesside University. She has extensive experience of working in children, youth and family services.
Rob Creasy is an independent researcher. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Authority and was previously subject director for social science at York St John University.
Children, Family and the State by Rob Creasy and Fiona Corby is available on the Bristol University Press website. Preorder here for £24.99.
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