"Housing associations" Are you having problems?

[HelenaDove]

Being covered in The Guardian,

www.theguardian.com/society/2017/apr/11/no-one-calls-the-housing-association-repairs-line-theres-no-point#comment-96476391

InsideHousing Strapline.
Community leaders accuse HAs of being 'increasingly commercial'
Community leaders and trade union activists have signed an open letter accusing housing associations of becoming “increasingly commercial”.
The letter – which is signed by film-maker Ken Loach, academic Danny Dorling and several London bishops – has called for more social housing and asks political leaders to focus on the “huge damage” that “insecure, unaffordable, substandard” housing is causing.
“We believe building more homes that are genuinely affordable and secure is essential. This requires long-term government investment and freeing local councils to build the homes we need,” it stated.
The leaders urge the next government to make housing associations more accountable, restore regulation and build more social rent homes.
“We are also concerned about the role of housing associations, set up as ‘social landlords’ to help people in housing need but becoming increasingly commercial,” the letter said.
It added: “We call on the next government to make housing associations more accountable, restore regulation and demand they build more homes for rent at not-for-profit social rent levels.”
The letter, which was delivered to 10 Downing yesterday, was co-signed by 47 people and organisations, including Generation Rent, the PCS trade union and Defend Council Housing.

I don't know if someone has already asked this but I am seeing an awful lot of buildings, including schools being built or "refurbished " with various types of cladding. Apart from the fact i think it looks cheap and nasty (beside the point) i wonder why this is a trend? Cheap finish? Building regs have not as far as I'm aware been updated recently i and it concerns me that there will be many many buildinfs left unsafe. There are houses (private) being built near me with what looks like polystyrene blocks and eco houses with straw in the walls. Have planners missed something fundamental or willfully overlooked things? ir are they considered safe?

This heartbreaking tragedy has to be a full stop. The point where human life is put before profit

I live in a housing association new build and I have had problems from the day that I moved in. The day that we were supposed to move in we discovered that raw sewage was coming up the bath and the toilet due to a problem with pipework which then resulted in us moving into a hotel for 2 nights whilst they sorted it, they only offered to clean it and wouldn't replace the bath, when we moved back in there was still sewage splattered up the bathroom door. Since then cracks have appeared in the walls and ceilings in two rooms, water is leaking through the downstairs ceiling from the bath, the paving slabs in the garden are all loose and quite frankly dangerous and they never turfed the garden properly so when it grows it doesn't grow like grass, it grows like wild woodland which is very difficult to manage. We also have mould growing in a kitchen cupboard. Oh, and the toilets no longer flush properly, you have to remove the lid and push a lever down to get it to refill with water and flush on about every third flush, I have no idea why. We have also had various boiler repairs due to water leaking out the bottom of the boiler. I'm just so glad that I didn't buy this house as I would be devastated, the builders responsible shouldn't have been paid by the housing association quite frankly.

At least one HA is now sending out rent arrears letters to tenants when the rent has already been paid either by the tenant or by HB.

The letters say "you are not paying your rent in line with your tenancy agreement. For example you may not be paying your rent weekly in advance.

Please contact us to discuss your rent account so we can advise you how best to keep your rent payments up to date and prevent further letters being sent."

We have had two of these letters but the rent has been paid. They swore blind that after the first letter was sent it was sorted after i phoned them the first time.

Then the second letter arrived 3 weeks later.

Then i go on fb and find out from other tenants that the HA changed their computer system last August which has caused this problem. MANY tenants have had letters with EXACTLY the same dates on as ours. So we all got "behind" exactly at the same time apparently

When i phoned up again after the second letter i was told the rent account must ALWAYS read 0.00 as the computer system wont allow any different now apparently.

Helena, that is shocking. I would be really anxious if I'd received letters like the ones you got and especially an elderly or vulnerable person too. I recently heard a rumour from my neighbours that my HA are selling off their Victorian properties as they are too expensive to maintain. One of my other neighbours said her old block of flats were condemned. In my old property, someone broke into all the flats and stole the stuff that the old tenants had left behind to sell on Facebook and EBay.

Exactly Stars. It could cause a bloody stroke if a vulnerable person in poor health got letters like this DH has heart disease + COPD and he opened the first letter.

HB pays most tenants rent 4 weekly in arrears Are the HAs now expecting the councils to change this?

Im getting very suspicious.

I have had the same issue regarding the rent letters and having spoken to others in the street they have had the same, Along with others despite making an agreement to bring them to a 0 balance was served with a notice to seek possession and then a couple of weeks later another saying I wasn't paying when I was I think there may be others but people are scared to admit they have had them . Up until recently if you were in receipt of housing benefit which is paid 4 weekly in arrears there were always time in the month when your account would show arrears but as above suddenly they are saying your account must always be totally clear. Mine had always been at the lowest 2 weeks ahead 2 behind and I was in the fortunate position of being able to bring mine in line but not everyone can afford to do this.

Ive just found something on fb that may help. I will copy and paste it here.

Hyde Housing Independent Resident Group
11 March ·

Hi. Thanks for the add.
I have some very important information to share regarding the change that many people in Hyde and other Housing Associations are facing, regarding our rent being due in advance and Housing Benefit (in future Universal Credit) being paid in arrears.
I recently received a letter demanding payment, even though I am in receipt of full Housing Benefit.
This is due to Governmental Political changes.
When I received the letter, I phoned for clarification, and the (typically) rude person I spoke to told me that my Tenancy Agreement states that my rent is due in advance, and that I must ensure that this happens.
Following this, I put out a statement on Facebook, asking if anyone knew what the hell this is all about.
I received a response from a friend who is a Paralegal, and her comment was backed up by another friend who is a shit hot lawyer, and teacher of law students.
THEY HAVE NO LEGAL GROUNDS TO DO THIS.
I will ask my lawyer friend for further clarification, and the precise wording to use (she has already offered this).
But the way the law, all law, works is on the basic of precedence.
Despite the fact that our Tenancy Agreements state rent in advance, Hyde (& other HAs) have willingly entered into a three-way agreement between themselves, us (the Tenants) and Housing Benefit, in which the set legal precedence is that PAYMENTS THROUGH HOUSING BENEFIT ARE PAID IN ARREARS.
Now, the case may be different for newly established tenants from this point forward, but if you signed your tenancy agreement with the understanding that all or part of your rent is paid via Housing Benefit, then they have no legal right whatsoever to demand monies from you in advance.
As and when Universal Credit is rolled out, the same conditions are applied. ALL benefits are paid in arrears, and the expectation and legal precedence stands with those facts.
Do not let them fool you, they are committing an illegal act.
When I get the correct info from my friend, I will post it here.
This is nothing more than yet another attempt to screw over the poor. They are relying on CAB closures and the removal of Legal Aid, as well as our own lack of knowledge on these subjects.
But I repeat that they have no legal grounds, and I believe that if we act as a united front, we can easily build a case of mass discrimination, or individual cases of such.
Sorry if I've rambled, and thanks for your time

planet.............so it seems its pretty widespread then. 23% of HA tenants are pensioners so they will be getting letters like this too.

No change in my situation since I posted in April, we're still in the same frustrating cycle of unreturned phone calls and dead ends. We've been fobbed off at every turn and this has been ongoing now for 4 years.

The list of excuses includes 'budgeting issues', the person dealing with it being off sick long term with no one seemingly able to tell us who's dealing with their workload in their absence and the latest, 'that surveyor is no longer covering your area' which now means we have to start from scratch with a new surveyor. Honestly I don't know if I have the energy to start all over again, we've been in this same frustrating loop for so long now I feel like giving up.

Many tenants have not had rent statements for months on end either.

Hiding

The Guardian must be sitting on a ton of submissions now. Why has it all gone quiet.

HelenaDove Thu 06-Jul-17 14:51:55

Housing associations are not subject to the FOI Act and can refuse to answer requests about fire risks, safety problems, eviction policies, waiting lists and other matters.

Examples of requests for information which housing authorities have refused include:

the cause of a fire in a housing association flat, requested by a neighbouring tenant [1]
whether potentially toxic lead pipes were used for the water supply to a property [2]
the amount of flytipped waste and litter collected from a housing association’s estates [3]
the number of repossession orders served since the ‘bedroom tax’ came into force, and the number of those tenants who had no arrears before that date [4]
the policy which permitted an association to pack up an evicted tenant’s possessions and confidential documents instead of allowing him to collect them [5]
the number of properties adapted for disabled persons (the requester said she wanted: ‘just the number, nothing else’) [6]
the number of asylum seekers housed [7]
the number of properties empty for more than 6 weeks [8]
the electricity bill which led a tenant to be charged £1,200 to cover the costs of 6 communal light bulbs [9]
the make and model of street lighting on an estate which the requester found ‘overpowering’ at night. He wanted to use the information to contact the manufacturer to see if they could suggest a remedy [10]
details of a contract for emptying septic tanks shared by a housing association and privately owned properties. The requester, a private owner, wanted to know the basis on which he was being charged [11]
the numbers of complaints about repairs [12]
the circumstances in which tenants have been given permission to sublet and action taken against those subletting without permission [13]
the policy on dealing with requests for an individual’s own personal information under the Data Protection Act and the relevant application form [14]
the job description of the housing association’s Head of Governance [15]

Such information is routinely disclosed by local authorities in response to FOI requests. Most of the above requests were made through the whatdotheyknow.com website and referred to the FOI Act. This prompted many housing associations to point out that the Act did not apply to them. This would not have prevented them releasing information voluntarily and the fact that they didn’t do so is revealing. Typical comments included: “We do not wish to reply to your enquiry as we are not subject to the FOIA legislation” (Midland Heart); “As Wirral Partnership Homes LTD does not fall under the Freedom of Information Act we are not obligated to respond to your enquiry”; “Great Places Housing Group is not a public body under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act and is not under any obligation to respond to requests made under this legislation”; “Our client is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act and is therefore not obliged to answer a request made under that Act” (solicitor for Genesis Housing Group to a person who had been evicted)

I am seeing our Local Housing Officer in the area at least once a week posting letters through doors. I did ask one neighbour if she had had a notice and to start with she said no and it was only when I said I had that she admitted so had she and the follow up letter saying she hadn't made any payments when she had. I think many people are both frightened and embarrassed to admit they are under threat of eviction.

We got another one this morning saying we owe £344 There is no bloody way we owe ANYTHING. it is paid by HB 4 weeks in arrears we have a recent letter from the council saying nothing has changed.

CUNTS.

I'm not in shared ownership but my last HA property was in a dire state (sovereign HA). I had to order 19 repairs on the day I moved in, in the 6 years I lived in the flat they never completed them all. I battled with them for 3 years and eventually got the flat condemned by environmental health to increase my priority with the local council so I could move! Waited 3 years and finally moved in march. It's only when I got out that I realised how ill the old property made me!

AlwaysDancing Did we live in the same block? I also went to meet the delightful Mr Hands.
We no longer live in shared ownership and it is a huge weight lifted from our shoulders. HA was a nightmare to deal with.
It was strategic incompetence, and why I feel so angry about Grenfell as having dealt with HAs I can imagine the frustrating conversations that have been going on for years about safety.
Our HA locked the door on to the roof that linked our building with others, and when I complained that it left us without a fire exit the rep said 'but the roof isn't your exit'. I asked 'so what is our fire exit?'. He had no answer.

On the bright side our HA did get taken to tribunal and tenants got thousands of pounds back.

Oh and I had a rent warning letter, for paying my rent at 15:55 on a Monday eg the date it was due as my housing officer decided that wasn't early enough

I cant get through to them on the phone. "we are experiencing a high number of calls" i bet they fucking are.

These letters are going out to disabled tenants and pensioners. Someone is going to have a stroke before long.

www.kentonline.co.uk/maidstone/news/pensioners-told-to-leave-flats-128637/

Ours is dreadful. There has been a long list of problems that they have ever attempted to resolve. For example, due to their bad building our door has been ruined by water which they won't fix, but if we fix it they will charge us and extortionate amount for the "privilege" of doing it ourselves. We are also charged "communal maintenance" which is ridiculous as we don't have a communal area!

There are even more issues but they would be very outing. Can't see a way out but need one!

"Former train driver Peter Morsley has lived there for eight years and has already started packing.

The 69-year-old said: “In one way I am glad to be moving out but in another I am not because I have a lot of people I know here.

“They are moving the vulnerable ones out first. It is because of the Grenfell Tower fire this seems to have taken place.

“They said the work might take four or five years. I think they want us out because they are going to make the rooms better and sell them off."

In what world does this take four to five years. I would be suspicious too.