Harry Lime
Recent activity
Comments (503)
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Comment on: ALMO teaches tenants to maintain their homes
F451, the truth is in most blocks of flats you already have people with their own workmen carrying out repairs that may or may not be to the standard their neighbours would like. Many leasehold flats for example are only required to engage in external/communal type repairs. If they wanted their mate to rewire their whole flat as a "project" there's nothing stopping them.
Similarly if you lived in a house and your next door neighbour fancied saving a few quid by plumbing in his own gas cooker you could find yourselves able to shake hands through the hole he knocks into your house, t happens everywhere, it's not an exclusive scenario for RSL tenants.
Incidentally the rewiring of properties and plumbing in of cookers by those without formal qualifications happens on a regular basis all over the country (my dear old dad being a case in point) - reports of cookers etc blowing up are very rare.... -
Comment on: Home secretary to reveal plans to fight ASB
This is all in danger of becoming a charade as the whole thing is tied up with the PCC's, which Labour aren't in favour of, by the time PCC's get in post we could be looking at a general election and all bets are off. Any chance of some quick and effective legislation if you're inclined?
The proposed CPO's and CPI's aren't much different from what we've already got so they should have focussed on tweaking what we've got as most practitioners are now up to speed with them, instead we have to start all over again - cheers!! -
Comment on: ALMO teaches tenants to maintain their homes
What's not to like? Some of these residents may be NEETS, the ability to attend these courses, carry out some (very) low level maintenance could make them a candidate for a caretaker type position should one arise in the future. It certainly wouldn't do any harm.
I'll just wait for the inevitable first ambulance chasing legal claim for either a defective repair or the person doing the work injuring themselves and claiming insufficient training or precautions - cynical, but probably true.... -
Comment on: Bill to create ‘premier league’ for housing allocation
Just to throw something into the mix - it does sound like they're trying to move away from allocation being entirely based on "need" For example if you were to create a brand new scheme and allocate it entirely on a needs basis you would probably end up with a large % of residents not working and possibly with other complex needs.
I would contend that such a development could have sustainability problems or quickly goes the way of much derided sink estates and further reinforces the ruight wing stereotype of social housing. The subject matter is worthy of further investigation - in my opinion. -
Comment on: Occupy protestors in bid to shape housing policy
I'm amazed there hasn't been an outcry and gnashing of teeth at the mention of "affordable rents" - doesn't he mean "social" ??!!
Discussions (4)
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Reality Check.....
Just thought I'd post this to allow many residents who take an interest in ASB and other matters, often just what it involves to get successful outcomes is "getting rid" of prolem neighbours and othe
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Greedy RSL's??
This is one for the development people out there. I work for a council, trying to increase the affordable housing in the region. Recently I am becoming increasingly frustrated by the stance of RSL'
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Empty Properties
Thought I'd start a thread on this as the campaign from IH obviously brings with it many stories supporting their stance. In my opinion, too many people over simplify the situation. It sounds really
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Empty Homes
Much of the information coming back seems to indicate that the majority of empty homes in all parts of the UK are those that were built for Shared Ownership/Shared Equity. Either the developers/RSL'
Posts (164)
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Posted in: Where do I go from here?
Hostel and supported work is much needed but very much at the mercy of funding and policy changes. I'd think with the experience you've got you might already be suitable to get a housing officer or outreach tyoe job at a Housing Association which is probably more stable and sustainable than your current job.
Once with a Housing Association see what support they can offer you in the way of training, mentoring etc and try that route for progression. Good luck.
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Posted in: Overcrowding with rent arrears
"Remember rents dont go into anyones pockets - they are used to maintain and manage the properties" In the private sector? I'd contest it to a point in the public, but to state that private properties are merely conduits for their owners to constantly improve is quite frankly laughable.
I've had a landlord on the phone today moaning that the tenant isn't paying and he's got to cover the mortgage, and I sympathise, but only to a point, for most landlords things like that are bumps in the road towrads their goal of 25 years down the line owning the property lock stock. If you can't handle the bumps - get off the road!!
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Posted in: Regulatory change and service delivery from landlords
Anon, bless you for flogging this particular dead horse, but no, the burden of proof fell to the resident. If they could REASONABLY prove that the repair they were requesting was caused by normal wear and tear it would be done, no question. In all tenancies tenants are responsible for accidental damage. After all, we all live in houses where radiators fall off walls themselves don't we??
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Posted in: Regulatory change and service delivery from landlords
Anon, I wasn't "harassing" residents, I was protecting the majority of perfectly decent residents abiding by the terms of their tenancy from having to subsidise the feckless actions of a minority. Do you suggest that HA's should repair without question - every internal door that gets a hole punched in (covered by a poster)? Every cupboard drawer that junior sits on and breaks? The list could go on and on.....
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Posted in: Regulatory change and service delivery from landlords
Legal aid for not getting repairs done?? - Yikes!! Simply go to your local council, if the lack of repair is serious enough they will declare it a cat 1 or cat 2 hazard which places a legal obligation to do the work. If the issue is not that serious it wouldn't merit a legal case anyway. When I was a Housing Manager the majority of disrepair cases we got involved with was when radiators "fell off the wall" and cupboard doors "fell off" All on their own?? Nothing to do with your unruly 5 year old then??