This year, the Alternative Housing Awards was presented outside the plush Grosvenor Hotel. A venue wrapped in wealth, exclusivity and privilege. They coincided with the industry awards taking place inside the comfort of the hotel.
See our gallery of pictures and videos of the evening.
The 2019 Tarnished Trophy winners were:
HA executives have little to be proud of. The sector collectively reported a surplus of £5bn in 2018, while the CIH reported that 165,000 social homes have been lost to the sector over the last six years.
It’s not hard to see why HAs have lost much of their original social purpose. Top executives were paid on average over £173k in 2018, up 4.3% on the previous year. The highest earner was David Cowans who received almost £600k. Their wealth is not trickling down to their staff, whose average pay rises in 2018 were below inflation. The percentage rise in repairs spending also fell below the rise in CEO pay.
They have little understanding of the struggle to survive faced by many of their staff, tenants or service users, nor the homeless population. Their self-interest is clear.
Join us to name and shame the worst of these landlords as they arrive to self-congratulate, wine and fine dine.