Carl Davis reviews David Renton's new book ‘Discrimination in Housing Law’ on behalf of SHAC. Mea culpa. I must confess I am a non-legally qualified disability and housing activist. So when I was asked by the Social Housing Action Campaign (SHAC) to review David Renton’s new book ‘Discrimination in Housing Law’, Legal Action Group (LAG)… Continue reading Book Review: Discrimination in Housing Law
Residents on The Rise estate have notified their landlord MTVH that they are embarking on a service charge strike over disputed charges and their failure to engage. The Rise estate comprises three blocks near Wembley, west London. Residents had requested a statement of their charges and the invoice pack, and were legally entitled to receive… Continue reading MTVH: Rise Residents on Service Charge Strike
By Mary Pimm Despite the vile weather on the evening of Thursday 8th February, tenants gathered at a packed housing meeting in Westminster. It brought together those living on various ex-crown estates which had been transferred some time ago to Peabody Trust. The agenda had a single item only: the fact that Peabody proposes to… Continue reading Peabody Crown Estate Tenants Resist 9.4% Rent Rises
As major announcements go, this year's statement on the social rent cap (SRC) has to be one of the quietest in history. A page on the Regulator of Social Housing's website confirms government's return to the social rent cap formula. Unlike last year, there was no fanfare heralding its arrival. It means that the majority… Continue reading Social and Other Housing Assocation Rents to Rise by 7.7% in April
By Carl Davis As England's social housing sector undergoes significant regulatory and policy transformations, a crucial opportunity presents itself—one that must not be missed. It's time for focused action on disability visibility and the elimination of discrimination in social housing. This is not just a matter of compliance with the Equality Act 2010; it's about… Continue reading Seize the Moment: A Call for Disability Visibility in Social Housing Reforms
It could make pretty depressing reading. A group of the largest housing associations in the UK routinely shrugging off repeated findings of serious mismanagement by the Housing Ombudsman. A sector enjoying the protection of a government too scared to effectively regulate them because they help plug gaps in public housing policy. But tenants, residents, and… Continue reading Strong Message, Weak Sanctions, Changing Views
A One Housing Resident writes Residents say that after two years of cladding meetings, there remains no foreseeable end in sight for One Stratford residents. June 2024 will mark four years since we, as residents of the One Stratford estate in East London, were officially told that our homes were unsafe and in need of… Continue reading OHG One Stratford Residents’ Two Year Battle Over Cladding Continues
By Carl Davis The Housing Ombudsman's finding of severe maladministration against Clarion Housing Group, the largest housing association in Britain, over the preventable death of Mark Pearce went almost uncommented upon within the social housing sector. There were no hastily convened press conferences of executives apologising for the mistreatment of Mark. No outpourings of horror… Continue reading No Warning Flags from Disabled Resident’s Death
Residents of One Housing Group from different but comparable blocks on the same estate (One Stratford) have pooled information about their service charges and found a level of randomness that defies explanation. It highlights what happens when landlords are allowed to impose charges without any external oversight or regulation. A survey across flats in George… Continue reading Residents Expose One Housing Group’s Service Charge Abuse
By Yasmin Barnes*, a Northcourt resident This article was for SHAC was promised in July, not long after a meeting between our MP and the chief executive of our landlord, MTVH, over incorrect service charges; a complaint that had already dragged on for ten months. We delayed sending it because we thought it might be… Continue reading North Court Residents Challenge MTVH’s £14k Attempted Overcharge
