Exactly one month from today, social landlords will be heading to Manchester for their annual booze up and backslapping. And we will be there to meet them. The UK Housing Awards was an annual self-congratulatory ceremony for housing associations, councils, and their partners. It was cancelled last year after SHAC's petition opposing the event topped… Continue reading Protest the Affordable Housing Awards
Sheltered housing residents have slammed Southern Housing for its ruthless decision to evict them in order to sell their homes By guest writer Gareth Sheppard* Since the abolition of the Housing Corporation in 2008 and the transfer of a reduced set of functions to what is now the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH), rigorous scrutiny… Continue reading Ruthless Southern’s Threat to Evict Sheltered Housing Residents
Rent and service charge strikes are growing across England according to a new report published by SHAC. The snapshot report was published following a survey of members, and sought to identify growth and trends. I am withholding payment because Clarion raised the service charge 20% without informing me any details or reasons beforehand. Nina, Clarion… Continue reading SHAC Rent and Service Charge Strikes Grow and Collectivise
SHAC and FindOthers have published research which highlights the extent and impact of service charge abuse by housing associations. The findings reveal the shocking effects of twin factors, with high levels of inaccuracy allowed to go unchecked by any government regulation or control, combined with a fierce resistance by landlords to addressing inaccuracies even when… Continue reading New Research Reveals Devastation in Wake of Service Charge Abuse
The service charge strike wave continues. A significant number of households from the same Hexagon estate in London are the latest group of housing association residents to inform their landlord that they are withholding payment in a dispute over service charges. The residents describe being forced to take this step as a last resort “in… Continue reading Hexagon Households Start Service Charge Strike
A ‘Notice of Service Charge Strike’ has been sent to the Peabody executive, signed by the residents of 42 flats on an estate in central London. The residents are withholding all or part of their service charge payments over concerns that: Some of the charges appear to be opaque, completely unjustified [and] plucked out of… Continue reading Service Charge Strike Notice Served on Peabody
REGISTER DONATE rents pledge Service charge survey Shocking evidence from a whistleblower has confirmed the suspicions of tenants and residents, namely that housing associations (HAs) are not just overcharging them for services, but that the overcharging is deliberate. For almost as long as SHAC has been operating, HA tenants and residents have been reporting problems… Continue reading Whistleblower: Housing Association Overcharging is Deliberate
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
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
