The annual UK Housing Awards ceremony is a lavish self-congratulatory event for the executives of housing associations and council housing departments, and is due to take place on the 25th November in Manchester. This year, the event will be held against a backdrop of the deepest cost-of-living crisis in 40 years. Attendees will pay anything… Continue reading Nothing to be Proud of: Cancel Your Awards Ceremony
By Carl Davis Last Sunday the Bureau of Investigative Journalism published the findings of its investigation into the use of Antisocial Behaviour Injunctions ( ASBIs). Sent to jail for feeding the pigeons: the broken system of antisocial behaviour laws Their shocking report describes how mentally ill and other vulnerable people are being sent to prison… Continue reading ASB Injuctions: A Conveyor belt of Rough Justice
When tenants and residents of SHAC's Notting Hill Genesis branch found out that chief executive Kate Davies was leaving her post, they decided to have a say in the qualities, experience, and priorities of the new leader. Many of those living in NHG homes consider Davies' tenure an abject failure. She has not provided the… Continue reading NHG Tenants & Residents Choice for New Chief Executive
Angry tenants and residents of Clarion Housing Group got together at a SHAC meeting on Wednesday 13th July to agree a plan of action in protest at the ongoing systems outage at their landlord. For details, see Clarion Closes Down. Europe's largest housing association is approaching the one-month anniversary of a cyber attack for which… Continue reading Clarion Still Closed One Month On!
Tenants and residents of Clarion Housing Group have taken to social media in droves to condemn their landlord for a lengthy shut down after a major 'cyber security incident' affected IT and telephone systems. Systems Down The already hard-to-reach landlord became even more difficult to contact from Friday 17th June. Email and telephone systems remain… Continue reading Clarion Closes Down
In the constant battle of attrition between tenants and residents, stories of how landlords harass those who complain abound. Like all bullying, it is an act of cowardice borne of fear, and a desire to silence dissenting voices. Disabled tenants and residents with mental health conditions are routinely accused of anti-social behaviour if they veer… Continue reading Shooting the Messenger: One Housing Resident’s Victimisation
Peter has lived in Spencer House for eight years. It is a beautiful building of retirement accommodation, situated in a prime location in Belsize Park, almost exactly halfway between Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill. But now, without consulting residents, Clarion has decided to empty it and stop using it as a retirement home. Peter explains:… Continue reading Clarion: Bullying with a Capital B!
By guest writers Matt and Kate On Sunday 1st May, residents of Capworth Court in Leyton began a service charge strike against our landlord, L&Q, over eleven unmet demands. Overall, our protest is about L&Q’s inability to demonstrate a commitment to its overall mission. It is failing on its promises to tenants and residents, and… Continue reading L&Q Capworth Court Strike
Representatives from SHAC together with housing campaign groups, trade unionists, and activists involved in local action assembled in central London on the 9th April. They sent a message to Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, that he needs to instruct landlords to cut their rents and end rip-off service charging. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K3J2t6FADQ Watch our… Continue reading SHAC Protestors Tell Gove: “Cut Rents & End Rip-Off Service Charges”
This week, Air Quality News covered a story about damp and mould in housing association properties, quoting SHAC and our members, and describing the terrible suffering this problem causes. The article makes harrowing reading and brings home just how devastating this problem is. Damp and mould destroys health and priceless treasured possessions, as well as… Continue reading Tenants Trapped with Toxic Mould
