War of words as housing group dumps entire board
A ROW over services has sparked an overhaul of an Isle of Dogs housing board.
The entire board of Island Homes was dismissed by parent company One Housing Group (OHG) last week. The group – which acts as landlord for thousands of affordable properties across the Island – dumped the 15-strong board by letter last Wednesday citing “persistent serious failures in its duties�.
But members have accused OHG of removing opposition so it can rush through service contracts before its performance is audited in July.
The four estate housing offices were locked soon after letters were sent, and Samuda Estate Local Management Organisation (Selmo) chairman Terry Austin had to be removed by police after staging an impromptu sit-in.
He said: “The board has got through three chairman in two years due to disagreements with senior management.
“The new agreement wanted to centralise services, but we know from experience that this doesn’t work in a 500-unit estate. There’s no point sending someone from five miles away to fix a door lock.�
Island Homes was created following the stock transfer of 2,100 council homes on four Isle of Dogs estates in December 2005.
The board includes seven co-opted experts, with each estate supplying two resident representatives.
Selmo vice-chairman Richard Samuels accused the group of “flexing its muscles�. He said: “It’s supposed to be a tenant-led board, but now there’s no board in situ at all.
“There’s a lot of bad feeling against the group in the community. People fear it’s looking to appoint a board more in line with its way of thinking.�
A spokeswoman for OHG argued the decision was “essential in protecting the interests of residents�.
She said: “OHG will continue to support Island Homes and an interim board will be appointed to take such steps as are required to ensure that services to Island Homes residents are first class, and to ensure the promises made to residents in relation to the improvement works to their homes are delivered.�
Blackwall and Cubitt Town councillor Phil Briscoe has since urged the council to check back on groups which have taken on council housing, while Poplar and Canning Town MP Jim Fitzpatrick has written to the Housing Association to help address the “chasm� between the two sides. Both men have stated it is their priority to protect tenants from the fall-out.
Leave a comment