reuben8

Comment on: A lost legacy

reuben8's comment | 11/11/2011 4:09 pm

Julie, thank you for that, I feel the same way - I am a tenant of CTH and see how the changes have presented a new face but the same old contentions. I always wondered what happened to the Tenant Group which is now a Joint Estate and Street Properties group.
I voted No because I didn't believe the claims especially on rent increases and preserved tenancies. Rent has gone up ridiculously in the past few years - new Management Fees.
All I can see is a Housing Association trying to tick all the boxes, shovelling out statistics about how great they are and how inclusive.
I know you and others have fought a long battle this sounds though that you are weary and very disillusioned.

What is the difference between a Secure and Assured Tenancy

Posts: 4

In Ask the Experts | 02/08/2010 3:49 pm

I live in social housing - the house was council up until 2003, it is now a Housing Trust. I had a secure tenancy (I've lived in the house since 1982) now I have an Assured tenancy. What is the di

Posted in: DEMONISATION OF SOCIAL HOUSING TENANTS

reuben8's post | 06/09/2011 12:39 pm

Demonisation of social housing tenants is a very real thing and one that has caused me a great deal of stress over the past eighteen months.I've lived in social housing since the late seventies - I have always worked, have never claimed housing benefit. I rarely call on the HA services, prefering to fix things myself if I can.

I planted the garden, decorated, took the council to court when they left a leaking roof for 12 years, took them to court again when they failed to fix the house in the time allotted - called in English Heritage when the contractors ripped out original features. Got compensation for contractors stealing my furniture. Have a leak again that has taken 12 weeks and ten letters but has not been fixed. Have live, wet electric sockets.

Two of my children were born in the house. I would have bought in RTB but it has always been too expensive.

I love the house, have taken great care of it, when the council and now HA seem to want it to fall down, or burn down. Since this government came along I have felt like a low life, scrounging off the state. My sense of stablility has disappeared, my desire to think of the house as my home is fading fast. I don't know what will happen to me and my family as I get older but I no longer feel safe.

And yet I see empty homes everywhere, I have countless luxury £350 per week properties being built around me, devlopers who don't seem to meet with any obstacles for planning.

The demonisation of social housing tenants feels very, very real to me.