Carl, Carl Davis, Carl Davis blog, Complaints Procedures, Damp and mould, Davis, Disability, Disability Charter, Equality Act, Fire Safety & Cladding, HA Service Charges, Health and Safety, Housing Law, Neurodiversity, Service Charges, Service Cuts, Staff Concerns, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Housing Ombudsman on Good KIM

By SHAC with additional commentary by Carl Davis KIM in this context stands for knowledge and information management, and is the subject of a new Spotlight report by the Housing Ombudsman. The report is a combination of casework data and fresh, specially commissioned research. The report is well-evidenced and reaches 21 logical recommendations for social… Continue reading Housing Ombudsman on Good KIM

Complaints Procedures, Equality Act, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Housing protest, Rent Strike, Service charge fraud, Staff Concerns, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Service Charge Strike Starts at LJHA

Tenants and residents of Leeds Jewish Housing Association (LJHA) have reported to SHAC with further concerns about their landlord’s conduct, and have announced that they have begun a service charge strike. SHAC published an article in May 2022 (Leeds Jewish HA: a Cause for Concern) which highlighted concerns over the landlord’s service charging mechanisms. The… Continue reading Service Charge Strike Starts at LJHA

Complaints Procedures, Electricity Charges, Gas Charges, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Housing protest, L&Q, Peabody Trust, Rents, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, Southern Housing, Staff Concerns, Tenant & Resident Democracy, Utilities

Hexagon Households Start Service Charge Strike

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

Complaints Procedures, Gas Charges, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Hyde Housing, OHG, Optivo, Peabody Trust, Riverside, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, Service Cuts, Southern Housing, Staff Concerns, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Whistleblower: Housing Association Overcharging is Deliberate

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

Complaints Procedures, Health and Safety, Service Cuts, Staff Concerns

Hestia Care & Support’s Disregard for Staff is a Red Flag for Service Users

Staff at housing association support project Hounslow Hestia LIFE have voted to take strike action over pay, conditions, and workloads. They will walk out on 12th and 13th of December after their ballot for action was carried by 90% of members. They are being supported by Unite the Union. Hounslow LIFE is one of Hestia’s… Continue reading Hestia Care & Support’s Disregard for Staff is a Red Flag for Service Users

Auctions and Sales, Complaints Procedures, Disability, Electricity Charges, Gas Charges, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Peabody Trust, Rents, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, Staff Concerns, Tenant & Resident Democracy

The Report that Peabody Didn’t Want You to See

The report that Peabody didn’t want you to see graphically details how Peabody (deliberately or through negligence) consistently overcharges tenants and residents on services, and then makes it almost impossibly difficult for victims to recoup the overpayment. Our leak was subsequently reported in the Financial Times. Read their article 'Independent panel finds Peabody Trust overcharged… Continue reading The Report that Peabody Didn’t Want You to See

Clarion Housing, Complaints Procedures, Damp and mould, Health and Safety, Homes England, Housing protest, Staff Concerns, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Clarion Still Closed One Month On!

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!

Clarion Housing, Complaints Procedures, Damp and mould, Health and Safety, Homes England, Housing protest, Staff Concerns, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Clarion Closes Down

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

Autism, Carl, Carl Davis, Carl Davis blog, Charter, Davis, Disability, Disability Charter, Equality Act, Housing Law, Neurodiversity, Staff Concerns, Tenant & Resident Democracy

National Housing Federation’s Feeble Action on Equalities

By Carl Davis The National Housing Federation (NHF), a membership organisation representing more than 800 housing associations, recently teamed up with housing association Aster Group's diversity and inclusion lead to share Twitter tips on becoming a ‘Disability Confident’ employer, posted under the hashtag #NHFDiversity. The Disability Confident Employer scheme is a voluntary, government accredited initiative… Continue reading National Housing Federation’s Feeble Action on Equalities

Auctions and Sales, Clarion, Clarion Housing, Complaints Procedures, Damp and mould, Genesis, HA Service Charges, Health and Safety, Housing Law, Housing protest, Hyde Housing, L&Q, MTVHA, NHG, Notting Hill, Notting Hill Genesis, OHG, Onward, Optivo, Peabody Trust, Regeneration, Rent Strike, Rents, Riverside, Sanctuary Housing, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, Service Cuts, Shepherds Bush Housing Association, Shepherds Bush Housing Group, Social Cleansing, Staff Concerns, Tenant & Resident Democracy

SHAC Protestors Tell Gove: “Cut Rents & End Rip-Off Service Charges”

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”