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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To put in a complaint about this housing officer?

134 replies

NetflixMom21 · 08/04/2022 10:36

On the housing register. Owed a complete homelessness relief duty and have an urgent need to move because of violence within the home and high medical needs for both me and children. Just been put forward for a property the other side of the county to be closer to family who can provide support for all of this.

Every time I have been nominated for a property the rules change, for example, this time round was proving residency for where my family members live. A few weeks ago they accepted bank statements, now they are saying they do not. I have provided every bit of evidence they need but it seems like the goal posts move dramatically every few weeks whenever a property comes up, so I questioned this on my portal and expressed my frustration at the rules seemingly changing whenever I get offered a property. (In my past experience of them, they are just an extremely challenging and rude team of people anyway).

This morning I got quite a confrontational phone call from one of the workers saying they didn’t appreciate turning up to work and seeing my message first thing this morning (I literally just questioned why bank statements were accepted a few weeks ago but not now). They then went onto say that I am ‘leapfrogging’ people who live in the area and have been waiting for years and so on. Well I doubt many of those people have experienced trauma and violence in their home and have high medical needs which is why they are still waiting and not on a higher band…

She was rude, confrontational and insensitive - almost making it seem like I should be thankful that I have taken a house that other people in the area should be entitled to instead… without taking into consideration all the shit circumstances we have which is why we have to leave our lives behind and move to a different part of the county…

I’m so tempted to put in a complaint… but is it worth it?!

OP posts:
mmmmmmghturep · 08/04/2022 19:24

YY @PreparationPreparationPrep @KwajoHousing on Twitter is doing well at exposing it.

mummyh2016 · 08/04/2022 19:27

@PreparationPreparationPrep

"This was a service that would cost a normal customer between £300-£600 but the tenants used to get it free because the HA or council were covering the cost. How is it that those customers that were paying were friendly and polite yet those getting it for free weren't?! Of course I'm not talking about every tenant but I'd say 70-80% were horrible" ConfusedConfused

Free! Really ? Honestly tenants do not get it free they pay rent, service charge and that includes for a repairs service which is often shoddy at best, maybe because social housing landlord staff look down on the tenants because they are paying a subsidised but not free rent for often poor quality housing, and unkempt communal areas. Poor sound insulation and in relative comparison to private tenants who usually have better quality homes abs safer neighbourhoods. Yes we pay subsidised rent and this is reflected in our standard of living. If I could afford to choose I know I would prefer to pay more for a better quality of life!

To this poster and @Hospedia the tenants will not be covering the costs for the service we provide in with their rent. I'm not saying what it is (only because I believe I have colleagues on here and there's things I've put on here in the past I would rather them not know) but it's not a standard service that for example private landlords would include. It didn't even cross my mind that some housing associations or councils would include it (especially considering all the budget cuts) until I was told my employer had won these contracts.
mmmmmmghturep · 08/04/2022 19:31

Yes tenants should be grateful for services they didnt even ask for like the electric checks that have blown a shower unit. All the kitchen sockets and the socket used for the electric check. And all listed here is in more than one home.

mummyh2016 · 08/04/2022 19:31

@PreparationPreparationPrep and I don't look down on tenants for paying a subsidised rent, I have family in HA and both of my parents come off council estates, my in laws still live in a council house. I look down on those 70-80% that I have had the misfortune of dealing with via my job for the way they have spoken to me. Respect works both ways. Be polite to me then I'll go out my way to help if there is an issue. Speak to me like shit and I'll do the bare minimum.

ChoiceMummy · 08/04/2022 19:32

This reply has been deleted

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mmmmmmghturep · 08/04/2022 19:35

The only time social housing tenants were told "we are all in this together" is when we were being told to wear masks. I see we are back to the default setting now.

Original poster
NetflixMom21 · 08/04/2022 20:00

@ChoiceMummy I am glad that you find my domestic abuse an easy get out - because I sure as hell enjoyed being strangled so hard I had blood vessels breaking in my neck, nearly killed on several occasions, having my children being injured and bruised by this person’s outbursts, having to live in several refuges over the years and moving all around the country but still being found… your right, such an easy ‘get out’ to get a new house!

OP posts:
Original poster
NetflixMom21 · 08/04/2022 20:01

@ChoiceMummy and where I live no-one will rent to people on benefits - so yeah it’s not that easy. Unless you would like to find me one and prove me wrong?

OP posts:
ChoiceMummy · 08/04/2022 20:13

[quote NetflixMom21]@ChoiceMummy and where I live no-one will rent to people on benefits - so yeah it’s not that easy. Unless you would like to find me one and prove me wrong?[/quote]
But you wish to rent near your family, so surely that in itself opens whole new avenues of potential rental properties?
Perhaps work? Many, including myself, counted as being disabled with a disabled child, do work and not rely solely on benefits.
I wonder though how safe being close to your family will be if things have been so turbulent?

Sadly, many people do use dv as an easy get out as are aware of how this can be a gateway to jumping housing lists...

Original poster
NetflixMom21 · 08/04/2022 20:19

@ChoiceMummy I am not moving by choice I am moving through necessity. I actually like where I live and this town has been home to me for several years now, but we require a lot of help and support from family (including a lot of hospital admissions because we all have some form of disability/health conditions) which at the moment we struggle to get because everyone lives so far away. So it’s not like I’m jumping for joy not being able to wait to get my hands on the next house available - this has been a gutrenching decision filled with a lot of grief for the place we call home.

I don’t care what other people use to jump the queue, this is not one of those cases - it’s for genuine reasons.

OP posts:
ChoiceMummy · 08/04/2022 20:46

[quote NetflixMom21]@ChoiceMummy I am not moving by choice I am moving through necessity. I actually like where I live and this town has been home to me for several years now, but we require a lot of help and support from family (including a lot of hospital admissions because we all have some form of disability/health conditions) which at the moment we struggle to get because everyone lives so far away. So it’s not like I’m jumping for joy not being able to wait to get my hands on the next house available - this has been a gutrenching decision filled with a lot of grief for the place we call home.

I don’t care what other people use to jump the queue, this is not one of those cases - it’s for genuine reasons.[/quote]
So it's for health reasons not the dv that you're needing to move?

Original poster
NetflixMom21 · 08/04/2022 20:54

@ChoiceMummy it’s for both - we are at constant risk of perp turning up and causing serious injuries - have several injunctions and target hardening in home that has been breached AND have all the stuff going on with health.

So it’s not as black and white as you make it seem - we have very complex issues going on.

OP posts:
Nsky · 08/04/2022 21:14

I think the housing officer was wrong to judge you, however she feels, it’s wrong, that’s what she is paid for
I hope you get what help and housing you need soon

feellikeanalien · 08/04/2022 21:19

@mmmmmmghturep

The only time social housing tenants were told "we are all in this together" is when we were being told to wear masks. I see we are back to the default setting now.
Yup.
maddiemookins16mum · 08/04/2022 21:34

There’s bound to be another side to this. That said, the job these people do is a thankless task and they won’t be the ones making the rules.
Good luck in your new hime.

Mickarooni · 08/04/2022 22:02

@ChoiceMummy

You don’t seem to understand how it works. You don’t just rock up and say “I’m being abused, please prioritise me”. You need evidence and information. It’s clear the OP has been through a traumatic time and I hope this new home will give her safety and security.

WelfareRights · 08/04/2022 23:35

The people excusing the housing officer haven't dealt with housing departments. I deal with a number of housing departments in different councils regularly as part of my job and some of the staff in certain departments are unbelievably rude, unprofessional and aggressive. And I am not someone trying to access housing! I speak to people who are and they are even worse to them.

It's not all housing departments and it's not all individuals, you get to know the names of the worst ones.

We sometimes complain. And have had complaints back about the fact we have complained! So don't expect much. I think where those sorts of attitudes persist, it comes from the top down.

I hope you manage to access housing soon so you don't have to keep dealing with them.

TooManyPJs · 08/04/2022 23:44

@ChoiceMummy You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

mmmmmmghturep · 08/04/2022 23:51

@WelfareRights Our HAs response to the housing officer who told DH to remove his disability aids from the property was to promote him to housing manager. There is something really rotten in the culture in the social housing sector.

mmmmmmghturep · 08/04/2022 23:56

Out next month

www.waterstones.com/book/tenants/vicky-spratt/9781788161275

YerAWizardHarry · 09/04/2022 00:03

@ChoiceMummy you sound like an absolute bellend Hmm

EliyanahM · 09/04/2022 00:13

For those saying "it's a hard, frustrating job" ok but in my old job I was literally spat at, bitten, hit, kicked, verbally abused you name it, and i, none of us, ever retaliated or was rude to the individual doing that to us? It's just totally unprofessional and I would lodge a complaint about them being rude. If they can't handle that how would they handle being a carer.

Sluj · 09/04/2022 08:25

@EliyanahM

For those saying "it's a hard, frustrating job" ok but in my old job I was literally spat at, bitten, hit, kicked, verbally abused you name it, and i, none of us, ever retaliated or was rude to the individual doing that to us? It's just totally unprofessional and I would lodge a complaint about them being rude. If they can't handle that how would they handle being a carer.
All of this happens to Housing Officers too but it happens out on the estate or in a person's house when they are alone with them. Many of the people being violent and aggressive to HOs are young drug addicts. HOs have been shot at evictions, had bones broken and held captive. Of course, they should remain polite at all times Hmm We arent talking about this kind of violence here but tenants often confuse straight talking and facts they dont want to hear with the HO being rude.
Original poster
NetflixMom21 · 09/04/2022 08:53

@Sluj really? Shot? Help captive? I would love to know when this has happened. You seem to know for certain this happens quite a bit, can you point me in the direction of some news outlets etc? Because surely something this dramatic wouldn’t happen without someone getting whiff of it 🙄

OP posts:
Nidan2Sandan · 09/04/2022 09:09

[quote NetflixMom21]@Sluj really? Shot? Help captive? I would love to know when this has happened. You seem to know for certain this happens quite a bit, can you point me in the direction of some news outlets etc? Because surely something this dramatic wouldn’t happen without someone getting whiff of it 🙄[/quote]
There is a reason HO attend evictions in stab vests and carry alert com devices. It's not just for shits and giggles. I got held hostage in a bathroom by a mentally unwell man back in Feb of 2005. My husband who is in the police, is always shocked that we attend properties with little to no protection when they would attend double crewed.

Anyway, that said.....as hard as it is to work in Social Housing there is no reason for the HO to be rude and I'm sorry you feel yours was. All I can think is maybe each property was actually with a different association and each one has different requirements for their lettings process. Could you ask who the housing provider is? They should have their policies online for you to view, or you can request them. I know my HA will work with applicants who cant provide all the necessaries as (believe it or not) we really do want to give people safe and secure homes.