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From the archive: link found between housing association carbon monoxide deaths
Inside Housing looks back at what was happening in the sector this week 10, 20 and 30 years ago
30 years ago
North Housing was in negotiations with the Housing Corporation for public money to back the second phase of its private finance initiative deal.
The deal was being pushed by the corporation as a model for the future, according to Inside Housing.
However, the deal could not go ahead without both government consent and a change to the local government and housing bill.
North Housing was planning on £35m from private backers to complete its programme. However, it needed an extra £18m of public money to support the cash it was raising from the city.
Ken Bartlett, assistant chief executive at the Housing Corporation, supported the model, saying it was “a way of using subsidy that will produce as many homes as possible”.
20 years ago
Council housing services were bracing themselves for a shake-up as the new housing inspectorate looked set to launch a star rating system similar to that used by hotel guides.
The controversial proposal was part of a second-stage consultation on the detail of the inspectorate from the Audit Commission.
Although local authorities and the housing sector gave a cautious welcome to the broad outline of the overhaul, there were fears that the star rating system could prove misleading and overly simplistic.
Ross Fraser, professional practice director at the Chartered Institute of Housing, said: “Given the complexity of the issues, we would prefer to see the inspection results given in the form of words. A star rating just isn’t sensitive enough.”
Paul Vevers, associate director at the Audit Commission, admitted the proposals were likely to be controversial but defended the star system as something that would be readily understood by the public.
“Staff and councillors will get a breakdown of which services are performing well and which aren’t, but that is no good for the public – it needs to be simplified.”
10 years ago
It emerged that the death of a shared ownership tenant from carbon monoxide poisoning occurred three months after a similar death in a flat with the same type of heating system.
Elouise Littlewood died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a flat she co-owned with Notting Hill in February 2008, after which it was found that the 26-year-old had been living in a development with a commonly used heating system.
But Inside Housing found that another – Maria Ighodalo – had died from the same cause in November 2007 in a new build block owned by L&Q with a concealed flue system.
Following Ms Littlewood’s death, the Health and Safety Executive warned that thousands of people could be living in homes that posed an immediate threat to their lives.
