HOUSING association tenants took to the streets today after having repeatedly reported serious problems with leaks, damp, mould and cold in their homes for years on end.
Dozens of London Renters Union (LRU) members protested outside the head office of Notting Hill Genesis, accusing it of failing to provide safe housing.
One said her children had developed new health trouble since moving into a cold and mouldy property managed by the housing association, which is one of the largest in London and the south-east.
“This house is so damp and cold, it has affected my children’s health,” the tenant said.
“When an engineer came to visit the house, they said the whole place was so bad it should be demolished.”
Fellow Notting Hill Genesis tenant Sameera Hashi said: “The list of problems in my home is growing larger with every month.
“But no matter how much I complain, the response from the housing association is always just to ignore us.
“I can’t believe we have to live in conditions like these in 2023.”
The housing association, currently headed by Patrick Franco, a former chief executive of estate agency Foxtons, had an turnover of £728 million in the last financial year.
LRU organiser Alva Gotby said: “Notting Hill Genesis would do well to remember it was founded to tackle slum housing, not create more of it.”
Tenants spoke out in May about the severe health impact of squalid conditions in its properties across the north London borough of Brent.
In August, the housing ombudsman found severe maladministration in the association’s management of a property with unsafe windows.
Last year, the shocking death of Awaab Ishak shone a light on the public health crisis resulting from England’s hazardous housing.
Citizens Advice has reported that 2.7 million households are living in damp, mouldy or excessively cold homes.
A spokesperson for Notting Hill Genesis said: “A small group of residents and members from the London Renters Unions (LRU) held a short demonstration outside our office today to raise concerns about living conditions in some of our homes. We approach such situations with openness and transparency, which is why our chief executive invited the group inside to discuss their concerns and share the action we are taking to improve the quality of our homes, as well as committing to action vital repairs immediately.
“As a not-for-profit organisation that provides more affordable homes for Londoners, we strongly refute any suggestion that we are creating more ‘slum housing’. We understand residents’ frustrations when issues arise or when the level of service we provide is not up to scratch and as an organisation we have been working hard to make improvements.
“This includes enhanced training for our housing officers, working closely with contractors to ensure they deliver a high quality service and the commitment of half a billion pounds over the coming decade to improve the standard of homes, helping to prevent problems from occurring in the first place.
“We are arranging a follow-up meeting with the London Renters Union in January to discuss these matters further and remain committed to doing all we can to improve the quality of homes and service we provide our residents.”
