London Indymedia

Private New Labour housing associations cause tenant chaos

Mike | 20.11.2006 19:51 | Health | London

Following flooding, intercom faulty, boiler faulty, inaccessible garden, roof guttering blocked
and cruetly from neighbours including windows being broken, post and utilities interfered with and persistant verbal abuse I have come to the conclusion that New Labour housing associations such as Ujima Housing Association are not working....

I moved to Haringey in North London in February 2002 following a transfer by Ujima Housing
association from Battersea, South-West London. My flat in South London was allocated by
Wandsworth council in 1999 under the mental health quota and four of the flats were all specifically for disabled people with rights to exchange with other social housing flats not given. The lack of a thorough and proper checking service both by Ujima Housing Association and the health authoriites and council led me living next to a neigbour who was unable to cope in a flat on his own in the community. This neighbour invited a stranger to stay with him and then kicked him out into the communal area and there then followed a nightmare period of a year in which I was harrassed by this strange person and which led to me being street homeless before finally being transferred to North London. Not only were tenants not checked properly but also we were not informed that we could not exchange the flat something I had planned to do when my disabled mum who lived locally died when I could then live closer to my brother in West London or move somewhere outside London.
My experience since transferring to a flat in North London owned by Ujima Housing Association has not been good. The house itself flooded several times throughout 2002,
the intercom and communal lights were not working and there are still problems here, the large back garden space remain inaccessible excluding neighbours children from enjoying
the space on what is a busy road, their is now a plant grown so high it is blocking the roof guttering, my boiler continues to breakdown and I have experienced long term harrassment or mental cruelty from neighbours which included not only verbal abuse but also breaking of
windows, interference of post and utilities something I have blamed on part to the lack of space the family have as a result of the back garden left inaccessible. I believe the reasons why this house is badly managed to be with the systems now put in place by new labour housing associations where there is less direct representation for tenants concerning maintenance problems-previously you would have gone directly to a housing officer regarding maintenace issues who would of logged and followed up such issues.
Now a call centre worker takes the complaint but has less responsibility with dealing with the complaint. New Labour housing associations involving themselves in buying council propery also give them less time to maintain current property and also employing other housing providers also complicate service arrangements. Do you think inviting the army and metropolitian police to stall -up at open days is a good idea or would it be better to invite other housing providers or contractors

Mike
- e-mail: scribbleabc2001@yahoo.co.uk

Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

Tower Hamlets corruption sums up the sleazy stage reached by Blair councils

21.11.2006 05:57

We are about to update on Council Housing transfer corruption in Tower Hamlets and show how the so-called opposition councillors are failing to oppose within the Council.

Tues 21 Nov 2006

CAAL


Could this be of help?

13.01.2007 03:17

Forum for Council and Housing Association Tenants
www.council-exchange.org

Admin Team
mail e-mail: support@council-exchange.org
- Homepage: http://www.council-exchange.org


Sane Tenants used as Gunea Pigs in Care in the Community

20.08.2007 14:54

I deeply empathise with this account of non-accountability of housing associations - they fling any old social reject on medication on top of sane, working tenants without the slightest attempt at matching or notification. Then, when inevitable clashes of lifestyle occur, they support the perpetrator and accuse you of unreasonable expectations, harrassment and poor social skills. I've had 6 years of hell with two neighbours; one from a former crack house in Brixton, the current one from Penge on compulsory psychiatric medication. It's impossible to sleep, work, or have any semblance of my natural life. The Housing 'Trust' (trust what?) refuses to take responsibility for sound insulation and is strongly biased in favour of the 'mentally ill' with 'special needs' regardless of our mandatory needs of undisturbed regular sleep, need to earn and mental health. These so-called 'special needs' groups play stupid mind games and false victim ploys, knowing how to play the system because they may be many things, but stupid ain't one of them. Backed up by social workers, they rarely suffer the consequences of thier actions due to housing policies in their favour.I've not cracked up, I refuse to, despite years of sleep deprivation, harrassment and stress. It is a false economy, as I have lost untold thousands, irreplaceable opportunities and normal sleep quotas. They seem to thrive on ineptitude and reward such with jobs for life and many benefits unheard of in the commercial world, where results count for something. Until the penny dropped, I'd spent fruitless effort in explaining, communicating and supporting these people to zilch effect and could not understand why their behaviours continued. Now I do. They don't have to consider anyone but themselves and have nothing in common with people who have a life.

DaftAida
mail e-mail: serenamartin13@yahoo.co.uk


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