Residents of an Optivo (now Southern Housing) estate in Putney have written to chief executive Paul Hackett explaining that as of April, they will be withholding their service charge payments. They join a growing group of housing association tenants and residents to resort to this tactic after attempts at resolving issues with their landlord fail.… Continue reading Southern (Optivo) Tenants Declare Service Charge Strike
Hyde Housing has slapped down Michael Gove's department over attempts to improve housing association complaint handling. The 50,000 home landlord has hit back at government pressure by issuing a new, more restrictive, complaints policy. Hyde will no longer investigate complaints about rents or service charges, even if the complainant is highlighting extortionate, inaccurate, or fraudulent… Continue reading Hyde Slaps Gove Down Over Complaints Handling
More than 400 tenants and residents have pledged to support rent and service charge strikes in protest at rent increases and extortionate service charge rises, which will coincide with further hikes in energy bills. The pledges were made by tenants and residents actively resisting sharp rises in housing costs which are threatening the affordability of… Continue reading Rent & Service Charge Strike Pledges Grow
Optivo Housing Association, now merged with Southern Housing Group, has been accused of racism by community organisation Housing Action Southwark and Lambeth (HASL). The allegations were set out in an open letter to the landlord as the group fights the eviction of an Eritrean tenant served with a 'no fault eviction' notice by Optivo. Open… Continue reading Southern-Optivo Race Discrimination Accusation
It’s become a familiar story, but no less devastating for the victims. When Selma was offered a home exchange by her landlord Clarion, she went to visit their prospective new home in Wimbledon, south London. What she saw was a nice property, albeit cluttered and overfull as the sitting tenant clearly had a hoarding problem.… Continue reading Clarion Board and Management Need Serious Repairs
A seasonal satirical offering from Carl Davis It was Christmas Eve and snowing heavily as Capital Quarter housing association boss Briona Arrowsmith-Wright tumbled out of the Bolt taxi and lurched up the steps of her Chelsea town house. She fumbled in the dark with the door keys to let herself in. The journey home from the… Continue reading A Christmas Social Housing Carol
Freeze Rents & Service Charges Campaign This report is written on behalf of SHAC and does not represent the views of the Homes for Us Coalition The Labour Party will not support the call for a freeze on rents and service charges, according to Matthew Pennycook, Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning. The statement was… Continue reading No Support from Labour’s Shadow Housing Minister
We won, and it's worthy of a celebration. It took 54,000 signatures on a petition, and a threatened mass mobilisation to picket & protest at the event. It also took an increased media focus on the failings of the social housing sector which was triggered by a coroner confirming that a two year-old boy had… Continue reading Protests Force Cancellation of Housing Executives Awards Extravaganza
Social housing tenants and residents have reacted with anger and dismay at Government's announcement allowing social rents to rise by up to 7%. Many say that it will inflict an unmanageable burden on their budgets. It is expected that almost all housing associations will utilise the full allowance. Supported housing is exempted from the rent… Continue reading Social Housing Tenants Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay Rent & Service Charge Rises
SHAC has organised a picket of the annual UK Housing Awards after almost 54,600 people signed our petition calling on organisers to cancel the extravaganza. We are encouraging tenants, residents, housing campaigners, and all those opposed to the commercialisation of social housing to join us. The picket will take place from 11am on Friday 25th… Continue reading Protestors to Picket Housing Executives Awards Extravaganza
