Camden has an obvious political point to make about the disgraceful actions of this government. But has it failed to keep its own house in order in better times?

THE death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak from mould last year in Rochdale has struck a chord here in Camden, particularly with tenants in rotting council homes.

Michael Gove, the Tory minister for levelling up – whatever that means – has this week responded to a coroner’s criticism of the case by saying landlords will, from later this year, have to fix mould and damp within strict time limits, when there are potential health risks.

Typically for this government, this latest edict from above comes without any extra funding that might help speed up the process.

All homes with persistent mould or damp are a health risk. And not just to physical health, but also mental health.

Residents are living in despair from the never-ending creep of those black speckles around the windows, in crevices and coming through fresh paint.

Many tenants are crammed into front rooms at night, unable to sleep in bedrooms that are plastered with the stuff. Its sickly smell can seep under the skin in more ways than one.

It is hard to quantify, but unacceptable living conditions are the single root cause of so many of the problems reported in this paper each week.

The housing crisis has nurtured a huge health crisis. And local authorities like Camden may well in time end-up becoming liable for all manner of diagnoses caused by unfit housing.

Camden, which is getting no substantial help from central government, appears incapable of keeping on top of the problem as it is.

The Town Hall’s argument for the rent rises appears to be that without the maximum possible increase it will not be able to cope with expectations about damp and mould. But in doing so they are also raising expectations from tenants who will legitimately be asking for a higher quality service.

If rents are going up by 7 per cent then no household should be left waiting more than, say, seven days for it to be removed. And not just washed away, but properly removed. They may, for example, start asking to speak to officers who are actually in Camden and not just still working from home.

The council has an obvious political point to make about the disgraceful actions of this government. But has it failed to keep its own house in order in better times?

Many council-owned homes have not been properly maintained over several decades. Now the chickens are coming home to roost at the worst possible time.

In small social housing set-ups, rents are more than enough to pay for the maintenance and repairs. Where has all the money been going?