South Yorkshire Mayor says he's 'already taking action' on unhealthy homes crisis across region
Campaigners are demanding more work is done on an “unhealthy homes emergency” across South Yorkshire.
The Mayor of South Yorkshire has claimed he is “already taking action” on unhealthy homes in the region after a meeting with campaigners.
Oliver Coppard met with members of the Powerful South Yorkshire campaign on June 19, 2026, which demands he use new powers to tackle a “mould and damp crisis”.
He said: “I want everyone in South Yorkshire to have a warm, safe and secure home, and I welcome the new group’s focus on improving housing. We all agree, too many people are living in homes which are cold and damp and I know the real impact it has on people’s health and everyday lives.
“That’s why we’re already taking action, working closely with local authorities, engaging landlords through forums and housing retrofit programmes like Let Zero, and building a clearer picture of housing conditions across the region to target support where it’s most needed.”
Mr Coppard also said quality housing is “vital to improving health and opportunity”.
“Everyone in South Yorkshire deserves a decent home… my focus is on working with partners and community groups to deliver practical actions making genuine improvements to people’s lives,” he added.
Mould and damp can cause significant health issues for people living in unhealthy homes.
The issue received national attention after the death of Awaab Ishak who died aged two in 2020 due to prolonged exposure to black mould in his family’s home.
The toddler’s tragic death led to the introduction, and current expansion, of Awaab’s Law.
Heather Kennedy, organiser at PSY, said: “Everyone in South Yorkshire deserves a decent home, so we’re glad the mayor agrees and says he wants to work with communities to improve housing across the region.
“In our meeting with Oliver on Friday, he spoke about the limitations of what he can do to fix unhealthy homes. We sympathise with this, and it was great to hear that he’s asking for more powers from central government.
“As the mayor who pledged to ‘do politics differently’ by ‘putting our communities at the heart of our decisions’, we very much hope he’s ready to work with Powerful South Yorkshire and others to fix our unhealthy homes.”