Eastlight Community Homes CIH Club, Awaab’s Law

Eastlight Community Homes hosted their second CIH (Chartered Institute of Housing) Club on Monday, 9 June. They had a good turnout, doubling the numbers from their inaugural Club in March.

So, what happened?

The online session focussed on Awaab’s Law. Dr Eve Blezard, policy lead for asset management, building safety and culture at CIH gave a great presentation from a policy perspective, reminding us all that there are still some details yet to be confirmed. She stressed that once the new requirements are in place, case examples will play a crucial role in guiding us through what is expected of landlords and other stakeholders. This means when breaches of the law lead to court cases, the resulting judicial decisions will set precedents that will shape future landlord responsibilities and sector practices.

While reaffirming CIH’s support for the introduction of Awaab’s Law, Eve also highlighted ongoing challenges in the sector, including resource shortages (especially surveyors), legal complexities, ethical concerns and the practical difficulties of meeting tight timescales. Definitions of vulnerability, impact and hazard are complex and require clear guidance.

To support landlords, Eve is developing a matrix approach to help prioritise repairs fairly and transparently, considering risk severity, likelihood, resident vulnerability and repair complexity. This aims to help landlords make justifiable, equitable decisions quickly, without deferring necessary action. 

Eve’s presentation was followed by an impactful presentation from Nadhia Khan, executive director of customer and communities at Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), the organisation that managed Awaab’s home.

Nadhia explained that Rochdale is one of 10 local authorities that make up the Greater Manchester region and is an ethnically diverse local authority area, with 19 per cent of the population coming from an Asian heritage. The borough is also the 15th most deprived borough in the country, with 27 per cent of its residents economically inactive, and an unemployment rate of just under 5 per cent. Nadhia talked about the lessons that have been learned and the improvements made at RBH since the tragedy, which have involved finding ways to overcome language barriers; ensuring poor property conditions were not blamed on resident ‘lifestyle’; and revamping the organisation’s broken disrepair process and policy, which was at the core of Awaab’s case.

Nadhia stressed that knowing both your customers and your properties is fundamental to delivering safe, effective housing services. She talked about the former poor and inconsistent record-keeping at RBH, which gave no single version of the truth and too many standalone systems. The organisation’s ongoing improvements are now focusing on better data, communication, and a more human, proactive approach to tenant welfare. The improvements have also already now been recognised, in March 2025, with a return to compliance with the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).

Eastlight’s next CIH Club will be held on Friday, 8 August 2025 at 10am, with the topic of devolution as the main focus. CIH will also be supporting and providing Eastlight colleagues with news of their latest work.