It was heartbreaking to read about the experiences of Chanel Sultan and her young family (Rats, mould, damp: one woman’s story reveals the ugly truth about the UK’s biggest housing association, 17 February). But unfortunately it was not shocking. The total dereliction of duty shown by the housing association – except to its shareholders – is sickening but, again, not shocking. Why? Because we live in a world where the haves are oblivious to, or ignoring, everyone else struggling beneath them.
Tragically, many like Sultan are left to drown in a world where even rats are treated better. I was forced to return to the UK from overseas, following a relationship breakup. I returned with three young children and two large suitcases. In the 15 years since then, I have been evicted three times by private landlords and forced to find a new home for my family in a very short time, while covering all the costs of moving by going further into debt. Each time the landlord has been either selling up or planning to raise the rent. On separate occasions, we were driven out by black mould, and by an overflowing septic tank.
Maybe we were lucky not to be offered social housing. How can our children ever escape housing poverty? Something big needs to change before more families drown in the filth and squalor of our inequitable housing situation. I can’t help feeling that people like Sultan and myself, and all the many others like us, are repeatedly punished for not owning our own homes.
Belinda Fowler
Marlborough, Wiltshire
I’m a retired fire officer who has had to deal with housing associations as part of my job, and Chanel Sultan’s story is far from an isolated one. Some large housing companies hide behind their logos, their 0345 phone numbers and official-looking vans, all designed to make you think they provide a professional service.
The reality for those at the sharp end is very different: messages ignored and vital works left undone or left for months. You have to have somebody to fight your corner to get something done. The councils have passed on their duty of care, so they’re no help. This is a national scandal as the most vulnerable people in our society are preyed on in the name of profit. It’s high time this situation was sorted out. There’s little cost to government, it just needs to enforce and protect basic human rights.
David Thomas
Corwen, Denbighshire
I commend Aditya Chakrabortty for his compassionate article. At the heart of this story is the lack of any accountability in the housing association sector and the difficulty far too many experience when trying to engage with the complaints systems when things go wrong. At the Social Housing Action Campaign, we are inundated with similar complaints from housing association tenants and residents. We know that Chanel Sultan’s experiences are, sadly, replicated thousands of times every week.
The institutions set up to protect residents have been disempowered over the years, and now rely primarily on naming and shaming bad landlords in the hope that they will voluntarily reform their practices. It isn’t working.
The Department for Levelling Up needs to address the imbalance of power between tenants and residents and their landlords, and make landlords accountable to those they house.
Suzanne Muna
Secretary, Social Housing Action Campaign
