The UK Housing Awards Protest - 25th November 2021 Housing association executives were unexpectedly forced to do the 'walk of shame' through protestors as they arrived at the UK Housing Awards at the InterContinental Hotel in Greenwich. The protest started outside North Greenwich tube station, with speakers including Clarion campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa, Unite Housing Workers… Continue reading Housing Association Execs’ Walk of Shame
The amount collected by housing associations as service charge income has increased by 2.3% (£33 million) in one year, according to the consolidated returns of housing associations made to the Regulator of Social Housing. It brings the total income generated through this income stream to £1.5 billion in the 2020 financial year. Upward Trend The… Continue reading Associations Enjoy £33 million Service Charge Income Bonanza
Inside Housing Magazine has reported on the rises in housing association chief executive (CEO) pay, noting that on average, basic pay rose by 2.32. There is no figure given to the average pay rises for the non-executive staff in the same organisations. Housing associations have also made substantial contributions to CEO pensions of 8.9%, although… Continue reading Housing Association Exec Pay Leaps Again
When fire ripped through the wooden balconies of Samuel Garside House, Barking Riverside, in June 2019, it forced 79 families to flee their homes. By the time it was out, it had destroyed a total of 10 flats and damaged many more. By sheer luck, no one was hurt, partly because it happened during the… Continue reading Service Charge Strike: Bellway Protestors Refuse to Pay for Remediation
Demi is a single parent with two daughters, one of whom has a disability. Her daughter's disability causes her pain and she regularly wakes in the night, disturbing Demi's youngest child. So now Demi sleeps on the floor of her room while the youngest has the bed. But this is not the worst of it.… Continue reading L&Q: Rats, Roaches, but No Toilet
A group of Hyde residents from an estate in Maidstone have begun withholding service charge payments in despair over their landlord's failure to provide accurate, reasonable, and evidenced accounts. Residents wrote jointly to inform Hyde that they were "withholding the service charge payments" because they have been requesting itemised invoices from the service charge team… Continue reading Hyde Residents Resort to Service Charge Strike
On the 25th November, the social housing sector will hold the UK Housing Awards ceremony to congratulate itself on the great job it has done over the last year. The event is sponsored by Inside Housing Magazine and the Chartered Institute for Housing. Possible winners this year include One Housing Group, Gentoo Group, Peabody, L&Q,… Continue reading UK Housing Awards: L&Q, One Housing and Clarion Make the Shortlist
The problems experienced by tenants and residents living in housing association properties come in many guises, from extortionate service charging to slum landlordism. From failures to comply with equalities law to a dereliction of their duty of care. All problems have two distinct common threads. The first is the relentless commercialisation of social housing, and… Continue reading SHAC Steps Up The Political Agenda
This is not a typing error. On a Hyde Housing estate in Sidcup, Kent, the housing association has charged tenants £140,398.68 for emergency light testing, servicing, and repairs work over a period of four years. All of those in the properties are on social rents. The charge equates to £2,924.97 per day. The work is… Continue reading Hyde Contractor’s 2000+% Profit on Fire Safety Services
One Housing Group (OHG) has published the results of its ‘customer’ consultation which shows that despite the landlord’s deluge of glossy propaganda claiming an extensive range of merger benefits, they have been unable to convince more than half of the consulted tenants and residents that it is a good idea. In announcing the results of… Continue reading It’s Official: OHG Failed to Convince Residents Over Riverside Merger
