At the AGM of the Dulwich Area Housing Forum – the forum for council tenants and leaseholders – Bill Newman gave his chairs annual report where he thanked delegates and council officers and then spoke about council housing…
“When major works are carried out to our homes we have endured a project that should be making our homes “Warm, Dry and Safe” but it’s not. We still have homes without insulated walls which are cold and damp resulting in the growth of mould. Condensation arising from badly fitted double glazing. Residents are being told that in a lot of cases that this is due “life style issues”.
We keep being told the repair service will be improved. We find it’s not. Mears now have has the contract to carry out their repairs to our homes for over two year’s Again we hearing they are having another “restructure” to improve their service to us, many residents are finding that they have to re-book appointments. Reasons being given of that the contractors were unable to get access, or that they are delayed, or they do not have the right materials or the job.
We have been promised an improved service to the communal repairs, the council employing new staff to manage these repairs. “Estate action days” are now used to complete some of the working which should have been done on normal day to day level.
The call centre was brought back “in house” last tear with again promises of an improved services to the residents. As we see from theirs stats it has not, We hear that by bringing it back ”in house” that the council have saved over 3 million pounds. Would it not have been better to use some of the savings to improve the service we receive. The managers at the call centres say they are now receiving a larger amount of calls., which is most likely due to the fact that this is the main way many residents can contact the council. If residents are lucky to be near one the one stop shops they find they have to wait or be given as appointment to have the questions answers.
On a positive note we have heard that the council have committed to building 11,000 new council homes over the next 30 years. This is more than any other council. Giving Southwark at the end of the program approx. 61000 council owned homes. It has been reported that over this time they will lose approx.. 9,000 homes to ‘Right to Buy’ which will have a further impact on the number of social rented homes the council will have to offer. This will also have impact on the new tenancies given to tenants.
The council have now launched a housing portal on the “mySouthwark” website where residents are able to check their rent account, homeowner are able to check their service charge account, there is now also as area where we able to log repairs as well. This is fine if we all have access to the internet or know how to use these services. Residents need to be informed about these new services.
At this time we know the council are working with other social housing providers to redevelop major estates like the Aylesbury here we see that all the estate over time being demolished losing some 2500 council homes. The new providers are building over 3000 new homes of different tenures. None of them are to be owned or managed by the council. Residents will be finding their tenancies and rents are different from what they were on the council, The council will be receiving monies from the housing providers once they are finished but until that are completed they are unsure how much the final figures will be
As in the past the council have sold of our estates like the Heygate to private firms and have very little social housing and/or any council homes on the new development, It at this moment is unclear how much monies the council will receive one these are completed.
All this will have impact of the councils plans to build these new homes with some of the monies from these developments.
Homeowners living on these estates and others are finding that when the council value their homes they are well below market value causing them to either move out of the area as property prices are so high in their existing area or being offered new homes on the new estates on the tenure or part owned and part rented as that is all many are able to afford. Also many homeowners are finding that their service charges are continually increased with very little to shows for the increases.
We, the residents need to be consulted on the council plans whatever they may be about on all the issues that affect out homes. Not just consult with us and then do whatever the council wanted. We need a positive consultation even when we may not all agree with the results of it, but it need sot be done so that the residents can at let be heard and our views and needs are taken into consideration.
Lets hope for a better year ahead.“