Letters to the Editor.
Published: 18th April 2002.
The buck stops here
Dear Sir,
Your articles "Complaints against corporation mount" and
"Regulator finds interest risk" (Housing Today, 4 April)
show that the situation may be drifting out of control.
Camden council's scrutiny panel was treated with contempt
by the corporation and executives of WHHA's new group,
Genesis when it was set up after the collapse of West
Hampstead Housing Association. Yet 15 months on, there would
appear to be deepening financial problems at WHHA.
Genesis, with assets of around £1b, is planning to
sell newly refurbished flats to pay for an indebtedness
which has swollen from £3m to £8m under their
rule.
Why is it refusing to give written assurances that
tenants will not be moved out of their homes to enable
property to be sold empty?
Why are they taking costly legal action against tenants
to facilitate this? Why should tenants, innocent parties in
this fiasco, pick up the bill?
The buck has to stop with the corporation which has not
done its job. Its boss, the National Audit Office must
accept responsibility, must act now to ensure adequate
monitoring, and must direct the corporation to pay for
damage done.
Yours sincerely,
Peter Rutherford,
Chair, WHHA Tenants Association.
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