Grenfell Tower and Awaab Ishak tributes as social housing bill passes

A move to strengthen social housing rules in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and the death of a toddler from exposure to mould is set to become law.

The Social Housing (Regulation) Bill will receive royal assent after clearing both Houses.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook told the Lords it included the "most significant reforms" in more than a decade.

The communities minister said it also sought "to drive the change that we know is so desperately needed".

Government changes to the bill include Awaab's law, which requires landlords to fix reported hazards in social housing, such as mould, in a "timely fashion" or rehouse tenants in safe accommodation.

It followed the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his home.

Other changes to the bill include requiring social housing managers to have professional qualifications.

That had been called for by former prime minister Theresa May and Grenfell United, a group of survivors and bereaved relatives of the victims of the tower block blaze that claimed 72 lives in 2017.

Other measures give the social housing watchdog greater powers, including being able to issue unlimited fines to landlords who fail to meet standards.

Baroness Scott said the legislation "seeks to drive the change that we know is so desperately needed in the social rented sector".

"It is vital that everyone learns from the mistakes that led to the Grenfell Tower tragedy, and the bill will ensure that social housing tenants receive the protection and respect that they deserve," she said.

"The Grenfell community's tireless campaigning will leave a legacy of real change to social housing in this country."

She said the need to drive up the quality of social housing and "rebalance the relationship between tenants and landlords was also thrown into sharp relief by the tragic death of Awaab Ishak".

Acknowledging the toddler's family, who had travelled to Parliament for the reading of the bill, she said she spoke for all present "when I say that my thoughts remain with the Ishak family".

"This law will make a real difference to people's lives, and I hope that it brings some degree of comfort to all those who knew and loved Awaab," she said.

She added that the legislation would "bring about the most significant reforms to social housing regulation in over a decade and this bill is now ready to proceed to the statute book".