Permanent or Assured Tenants.
Now that we have all joined the Genesis Housing Group, everyone is eligible to join the "Independent Federation of Genesis Tenants", and are strongly advised to do so. It is run on a shoe string, but will help as much as it can.
At the meeting on 17/2/05, (see below), 8 people voted to join PCHA. A mandate of 8 out of a total of about 550 was quite sufficient for PCHA to seize us and our homes, useful assets for their borrowing purposes. This they have done.
Meeting about transfer to PCHA. The chief executive of WHHA/Pathmeads, Tom McGregor, should have sent you a letter about a meeting to discuss this matter. Having got it wrong once, a second letter went out advertising the new meeting on:
Date: Thursday February 17th. 2005.
Time: 6.30 pm. at the their new office in Wembley ( NOT in Neasden Lane)
at the Olympic Office Centre, 8 Fulton Way, Wembley, HA9 0TB
Close to Wembley Park underground station.
Map available by clicking here
Complaints Procedure trashed again. May 26th 2003 PCHA have replaced the Complaints Procedure previously used by WHHA/Pathmeads permanent tenants. The new system is on the Federations web site
PCHA officials refuse to lift eviction threat. 30/9/02. At WHHA's Annual General Meeting, the massive and expanding debt was talked about along with the notorious "Ground 9" of the Assured Tenancy, which states that PCHA/WHHA may take a tenant to court, say that there is "suitable alternative accommodation" to be offered to that tenant, and the judge may then order the eviction of that tenant.
There was much talk on WHHA's huge debt and how it was to be sorted out. We were told that flats would have to be sold, but that only empty ones would be. Peter R asked for an absolute assurance from Mr. Tom McGregor that "Ground 9" would not be used to evict people first.
Mr. McGregor stated that he refused to give this assurance.
The Chief Executive of the Genesis Housing Group, Mr. Anu Vedi, was at the meeting and despite being asked to comment, refused to say anything throughout the whole evening.
One of the principal purposes of the Assured Tenancy is to give a sense of permanence and security to the tenant in return, usually, for a large increase in rent. Where is the sense of security and permanence that we are paying for?
PCHA's "Tenant Profile Form": Entirely voluntary. 27/8/02.
WHHA's Permanent tenants have just received a newsletter with a 19 question "Tenant Profile form". This asks for a whole raft of information allegedly totally unnecessary for the running of a housing association - for instance: date of birth - National Insurance number - employment status - medical details - ethnic origin including details of those with mixed parenthood - religion - info about involvement with probation, psychiatric, social worker services - etc. The form requires a signature.
Question 8 carries the option "Question refused". This implies that the others do not have this option. Not so, apparently.
According to PCHA's Boe Williams Obasi, the filling in of this form is entirely up to us. If you don't like it, tear it up.
Why didn't you tell us that on the form, Ms. Williams Obasi?
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This is to be a specialist page for tenants in permanent housing who probably hold an Assured or Secure Tenancy. Please let us know what you would like to do with it, what subjects to cover, and what languages it should be available in. We will need help putting it together. Send an Email to us if you have ideas or would like to help.
To start off, everybody should read their Tenancy document with great care. There can be a great deal of information about legal rights and entitlements. Also, examine the "Assured Tenants' Charter" as published by the Housing Corporation.
Issues that could be covered include:
1. Noise. Sometimes a problem of faulty building construction.
2. Neighbour problems
3. Maintenance. Not much change reported with the coming of PCHA, and in order to get proper treatment from WHHA, it may be possible, in some cases, to use the relatively inexpensive Small Claims Court either as individuals or in groups. Let us know if you want to discuss this possibility or other group or individual legal action. Telephoning PCHA on 020-537 4537 and asking for Mr. Mike O'Brien may well get better results.
4. Tenancy issues. A number of tenants joined WHHA as "licencees" before January 15th 1989, and subsequently were offered and accepted Assured Tenancies. Such people were always tenants , as the Law Lords decreed in June 1999, and since Assured Tenancies were invented in 1989, those who pre-date 1989 cannot be Assured: they can only be tenants of a type in existence when they became tenants - and that must be Secure Tenants under the 1977 Rent Act. (This is a bit of a simplification, but is meant as a starting point for a discussion of the legal position). It is just that nobody told them, and even now, PCHA/WHHA are still in a rather pathetic state of denial. You cannot sign away fundamental statutory rights by erroneously signing up for Assured Tenancies later. Watch this space.
5. Rent level parity with PCHA. They have cheaper rates. So should we.
Most, but not all permanent tenants have an Assured Tenancy. The basis for the "Assured Tenancy" is The Housing Act 1988 and this act over rides any tenancy document you may have been given and signed which is labelled "Assured Tenancy", it is believed.
Assured Tenants Charter. This is document, published by the Housing Corporation, which should have been given to you on arrival. Click this for more information on getting a copy.
Secure Tenants Charter. Secure tenants have a different set of rights which are also encapsulated in law. They have their Housing Corporation charter booklet details of which can be found here.
The "Policy & Procedure" documents. As you know, PCHA are now managing WHHA permanent prperties. They have different P & P documents to WHHA. These, which are available free on request, include:
WHHA's Housing management policy and procedure manual.
Volume 1. Contents
1.0 Rehousing
1.1 Lettings policy
1.2 Lettings procedure
1.3 Transfer and policy procedure
1.4 Sheltered housing assessment and allocations procedure
1.5 Decant procedure
1.6 Furnished tenancy scheme
1.7 Right to Acquire
2.0 Tenancy rights
2.1 Joint tenancies
2.2 Succession
2.3 Assignment
2.4 Mutual exchanges
2.5 lodgers and sub tenants
2.6 Use of premises for business
3.0 Rents and service charges
3.1 Rent setting
3.2 Service charges
3.3 The control of rent arrears
4.0 Tenant participation
4.1 Tenant participation policy
5.0 Customer care
5.1 customer service standards
5.2 Complaints
5.3 Appeal procedures
5.4 Compensation
5.5 Tenant communications
5.6 Equal opportunities
5.7 Dealing with press enquiries
5.8 Privacy and confidentiality
Volume 2. Contents
6.0 Nuisance, harassment and relationship breakdown
6.1 Nuisance
6.2 Harassment
6.3 Relationship breakdown
6.4 Sex offenders
7.0 Tenancy termination
7.1 Security of tenure
7.2 Absent tenants and unauthorised occupants
7.3 Squatters
7.4 Disposal of goods
8.0 Supported housing
8.1 Move on procedure
8.2 Floating support scheme
8.3 Vulnerability assessments
9.0 Maintenance procedures
9.1 Repair requests
9.2 Re-let voids procedure
9.3 Access
9.4 Compensation for failure to repair
9.5 Work in tenanted property
9.6 Tenants improvements and compensation
9.7 adaptations
9.8 Rechargeable repairs
9.9 Hand over procedures
9.10 Minor works/improvements
9.11 Internal decorations
9.12 Handling disrepair claims
10.0 Estate management procedures
11.0 Miscellaneous
11.1 Maintaining tenant and property data
11.2 Budgets and budget codes
11.3 Cash handling and cheques
Let PCHA know if you want them to send you any of these free documents.
Independent Federation of Genesis Residents Back to the web site