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Autism, Carl, Carl Davis, Carl Davis blog, Charter, Complaints Procedures, Disability, Disability Charter, Equality Act, Housing Law, Housing protest, Neurodiversity, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Disabled Victims of Anti-Social Behaviour in Housing Associations

Our Statement on the Government’s New ‘Action Plan’ to Tackle Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) By Jacqueline Parkes, SHAC Disability Visibility Group Lead In January, we held our first DVG meeting for 2023. During this session, we stated our intention this year to focus on disabled residents’ experiences of ASB in social housing, and to raise the… Continue reading Disabled Victims of Anti-Social Behaviour in Housing Associations

Complaints Procedures, Electricity Charges, Fire Safety & Cladding, Gas Charges, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Housing protest, L&Q, Optivo, Peabody Trust, Service charge fraud, Southern Housing, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Service Charge Strike Notice Served on Peabody

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

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, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Housing protest, Optivo, Rent Strike, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, Service Cuts, Southern Housing, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Southern (Optivo) Tenants Declare Service Charge Strike

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

Complaints Procedures, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Housing protest, Hyde Housing, Rent Strike, Rents, Service charge fraud, Service Cuts, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Hyde Slaps Gove Down Over Complaints Handling

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

Clarion, HA Service Charges, Housing protest, Hyde Housing, L&Q, MTVHA, NHG, Notting Hill, Notting Hill Genesis, OHG, Optivo, Peabody Trust, Rent Strike, Rents, Riverside, Sanctuary Housing, Southern Housing, Tenant & Resident Democracy, Waive The Rents

Rent & Service Charge Strike Pledges Grow

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

Complaints Procedures, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, L&Q, Service charge fraud

Another Service Charge Strike at L&Q

When we meet Sonya*, the first thing she says is: There is no transparency, actual spend is ending up between 55% and 197% higher than estimates. We’ve experienced on average 109% increase in service charge over the past eight years, and we no clarification why. We have many questions but no answers.” Despite all our… Continue reading Another Service Charge Strike at L&Q

Complaints Procedures, Housing Law, Onward, Riverside, SBHA, SBHG, Service Cuts, Shepherds Bush Housing Association, Shepherds Bush Housing Group, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Riverside Suffers Setback on Cap for Disrepairs Compensation

Government has announced that it is to delay limiting the amount in legal costs that can be recovered for housing disrepair cases. The cap was originally introduced following intensive lobbying by housing associations - led by Riverside - as this group of landlords so often fail to make timely and effective repairs. The cap was… Continue reading Riverside Suffers Setback on Cap for Disrepairs Compensation

Complaints Procedures, Housing Law, Onward, Service Cuts, Tenant & Resident Democracy

A Tenant’s Lament: January

A Typical Year in the Life of an Onward Tenant In this series of articles, Michael Harrison describes in detail the unnecessary torments of life with a housing association landlord. January 2022 The year began with the continuation of the farce which started on December 4th last year when the front door lock was changed… Continue reading A Tenant’s Lament: January

Complaints Procedures, Housing Law, Housing protest, L&Q, Optivo, Racism, Southern Housing

Southern-Optivo Race Discrimination Accusation

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