By Mary Carter, Notting Hill Genesis tenant My landlord, Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) has published its annual report for the last financial year. The document is full of self-congratulation and positive affirmation about how well the landlord is performing. But read between the lines and you’ll also spot some small pointers to the truth. In… Continue reading Flooded: A Notting Hill Genesis Tenant’s Soggy Story
SHAC members on a Clarion estate are celebrating victory following a partial rent strike. Strikers in north London have successfully secured action to address a number of concerns that had been outstanding for years. The repairs, some of which tenants have been requesting for five years, have been offered just three weeks after strike letters… Continue reading First Rent Strike Victory Declared!
The SHAC Disability Charter Scheme will allow housing associations to bridge a gaping chasm between a landlord's fine words on equalities for disabled tenants and the tenant's own lived experience. The Charter Scheme is published here for consultation. You can leave suggestions in the comments section of this article, or email shac.action@gmail.com. Download the Charter… Continue reading Bridging the Disability Gap
Tenants and residents from a wide variety of housing associations have agreed to hold a coordinated service charge 'strike' under SHAC's banner. Action is being taken by residents frustrated at their landlords' failings in relation to extortionate or erroneous service charges, disrepairs, shoddy maintenance, and cladding. No Other Choice Residents described how their problems are… Continue reading Tenants and Residents Hit Back
London & Quadrant, one of the largest landlords in London, has been publicly shamed into abject apology after ITV featured the case Junior Jimoh on its news broadcast. SHAC has been running the 'L&Q Fix Our Broken Homes' campaign since early May. The importance of our campaign was tragically reinforced in an ITV news item… Continue reading L&Q Exposed
... And the Social Housing Myth By guest writer David Renton In March, I was in court representing Blessing Musona, a housing association tenant who had lived in her home for thirty years. There was mould growing on the walls and a boiler which for eighteen months had been decommissioned, with a sticker on its… Continue reading The Scales of Injustice …
Residents in some of the poorest areas of the country are being further impoverished by expensive heating systems, or face living in freezing conditions without hot water. Their housing association landlords are claiming that they have no influence with the heating provider companies. "Heat networks are supposed to provide a low cost, and potentially low… Continue reading Peabody Highlighted in Fuel Poverty Report
Poor repairs are regularly highlighted to SHAC, with tenants and residents feeling helpless when they try to get their housing association landlords to address them. This week, a group of tenants have successfully compelled their local council, the London Borough of Lambeth, to take three housing associations to court for the condition of their properties.… Continue reading Lambeth Council Sues HA Landlords
Richard Hill became One Housing Group’s (OHG) new chief executive in 2017. Steve Douglas was appointed as Chair of the Board a year later. It took the pair just a couple of years to turn a pre-tax surplus of £82 million as at March 2017 into a deficit of £8.6 million in 2020. This shocking… Continue reading One Housing Passes the Buck for Financial Failings
Look out for sneezing, a runny nose, inflamed eyes, skin rashes, asthma (breathing difficulties which can be fatal), and allergic reactions. All these symptoms can occur from contact with mould spores which develop in damp and poorly ventilated conditions, so could point to a problem in your home. These symptoms will most severely affect younger… Continue reading Sanctuary Shamed Over Unfit Homes
