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2008
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2002
Inside Housing: "Genesis learns takeover lessons". Dec 12.
Kilburn Times: "Family's fury after repairs delay". 14/8/02
2002
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2001
Camden New Journal. "Rude awakening on the way".
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2000
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Recent news.
Move to PCHA: Out of 550, 8 vote "Yes". Move confirmed.
The consultation exercise performed by Tom McGregor, Chief Executive of Pathmeads (WHHA) a while back involved a vote on whether permanent tenants should move to PCHA. After an allegedly one sided presentation, biased to suggest benefits to tenants a show of hands could only muster eight votes for the change. The Chief Executive of PCHA was in attendance. Pam Lockley was amazed by the hostility to her firm. She has only been in her job a short while; she has a lot to learn.
The Housing Corporation's rules require this consultation.
Following this meeting, it was decided to carry out the transfer, and this has happened. Since it is clear form the voting figures that Mr. McGregor had no intention of taking the slightest notice of the results of the consultation, it must be wondered what the point of it was, apart from satisfying the Housing Corporation's seemingly pointless rules.
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Dapo Ladimeji, board chair, surrenders right to sack chief executive.
At the Special General Meeting of shareholders held on November 23rd, the chair of our management board, Dapo Ladimeji, presented a long list of amendments to our constitutional rules. The Housing Corporation require, under Sect G4 of their rules, that tenants are consulted about changes which affect their tenancies.
Yet again, this is not been done.
Some changes are obscure; some are weird. Amongst the latter was a motion that the management board can no longer sack the chief executive. Mr. Ladimeji was asked why he was asking for this particular change to the rules. He was unable or unwilling to reply.
This meeting begs closer scrutiny. Work is being done on it.
If you wish, you may ring the company secretary, Ms. Siobhan Coveney, on the new PCHA phone number: 020-8150 4100 and ask for a copy of the old rules along with a copy of the new ones to compare them yourself.
PCHA (please note: not Pathmeads/WHHA) appear to have done a moonlight. Their new address is:
Capital House,
25 Chapel St .,
London NW1 5DT.
Here is a map . It is off the Edgware Road near the Marylebone Flyover.)
Watch this space.
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Devonshires the Lawyers wish us a "Happy Holiday".
Remember Devonshires? They are the law firm who took us all to court. This is despite the fact that they are alleged to have told WHHA in the early nineties that traditional shortlifers had proper tenancy status. They have taken out a full page rear cover advertisement in "Housing Today" wishing everyone a "Happy Holiday".
The ad's colour scheme is dark grey on light grey. Well done Devonshires, you can't get more Christmassy than that.
This will probably offend all Christians because Devonshires have lacked the grace to acknowledge arguably their most important festival of the year. It will offend all the other faiths because Devonshires failed to acknowledge theirs at all.
And who has paid the £2,500 bill? You can bet your bottom dollar that it has come indirectly from our rent money.
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Update on evicted nurses' homes: now in use ... three years on.
Two key workers, nurses, were evicted in November 2001. This was reported in the Camden New Journal the following April as part of an initiative. It is believed that the NHS in this borough has lost the use of both nurses. The purpose of the eviction was said to be to hand the house back to the Homeless Persons Unit of Camden Council. It is well known that the HPU does not have the funds to do repair and refurbishment work. They need "oven-ready" properties with little or no money to be spent on them.
The building was, in due course, squatted. These people were evicted and the building was then left empty for a very long time. The house has now been put right, and new tenants, probably Camden tenants, have just moved in.
Cost to WHHA/Pathmeads/PCHA: £26,000 in lost rent.
Cost to NHS: the difference between the salaries of agency nurses and staff ( x2 x3 ).
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PCHA: the boss goes - company secretary gone - PR chief gone.
Three senior members of staff have left, and in an extraordinary recent chain of events, PCHA has, in addition, lost its PR chief, company secretary and now chief executive.
First to go was the Group Director of Technical Services, Sonny Karanjia, a while back, and then the Group Director of Finance, Dominic Gibb. He was followed by the Deputy Director of Development, Tony Hall. Then came the Company Secretary, Sandra Raine, who left recently without any explanation or announcement. Rob Davies, Head of Marketing and boss of the Press Office has gone, and just before the weekend, rumours were circulating that Alan Beatty, Chief Executive, was no longer in post. This has been confirmed.
The reason given for Mr. Beatty's departure is that there has been a governance review in 2003 and job restructuring. We are told that now, in the Genesis Housing Group, each subsidiary company will have its own chief executive.
But this has always been the case. What's new?
Apparently the chief executive will now combine board level as well as executive responsibilities. Alan Beatty, apparently, declined to continue; he didn't feel that he wanted the "new" post. He has accepted voluntary redundancy.
We are asked to believe that Alan Beatty was offered a place on the board, didn't want it, and threw in the job.
The only real difference is that the post of head honcho of PCHA will be called managing director rather than chief executive or whatever else it was that he was called.
The new M.D. is Ms. Orla Gallagher, although she has also been described as deputy M.D. The new company secretary is Siobhan Covenay and the PR chief is Ms. Jules Hiller.
PCHA's press office: 020-8537 4103.
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"Thrown out on to the streets". Camden Times. 16th July 2003.
By Lorraine King.
In a major article occupying the whole of the front page, Lorraine King describes the story of one of our tenants who was an original pre '89 licencee, and hence a secure tenant, suffering from Hepatitis C, who is to be evicted onto the streets on or after August 15th. He was a joint tenant on a long term "licencee/secure" tenancy. The other joint tenant signed off their tenancy in his absence effectively leaving him a squatter in his own home.
Joint tenants: Beware. (although not all joint tenancies can be abused in this way) .
The piece has a number of errors, one of which is the figure of £67,000 quoted as a Right to Buy discount. This is NOT the case. RTB does not come into all this. The figure is a discount which has, in the past, been offered by Camden to the Housing Association when they buy council property as additional discount payable per tenant if they can get shot of us, thereby freeing up space for nominations from their waiting list. This is a measure of WHHA's gratitude to us for living in property that was discarded as unfit in the late seventies and was rented to us at about a third more than Camden charge their own tenants for fully rehabilitated homes.
Full text of the article
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Complaints Procedure for permanent tenants trashed again. May 26th 2003
PCHA have replaced the Complaints Procedure used by WHHA/Pathmeads permanent tenants. The new system is as follows:
1. Write to the Project Manager, Ms. Boe Williams Obasi, detailing the problem. Her address is Chancel House, Neasden Lane, NW10 2AY. She must give you a receipt within four working days and an answer within 28 days. If you are not entirely happy, then WITHIN FOUR WEEKS (probably not legally enforceable) ask for the next stage:
2. Appeals Panel. This consists of three people (who are all beholden to PCHA), namely a senior member of the management team, a board member and an independent executive director. If not happy with their pontifications, apply to:
3. Independent Housing Ombudsman, 105 The Strand, London WC2R OAA. You can get details posted to you by ringing 020-7836 3630.
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CDS wins Camden transfer in landslide residents' vote. Inside Housing. 9/5.
'Forgotten' short-lifers vote for the co-operative option. Property People. 8/5.
These two articles from Inside Housing and Property People amplify the article below on the overwhelming vote by the WHHA's Camden Residents in Shortlife Housing (CRISH) in favour of the CDS plan to develop the L. B. Camden houses in which they live.
Property People: full text of report A CRISH statement said that PCHA made no effort until the very last moment to consult with residents or even show the slightest interest in their concerns.
A PCHA statement said that tenant and residents consultation was at the heart of its ethos.
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'Churches damned in landslide vote.
Paddington Churches Housing Association were pitchforked into an inferno of their own making (allegedly) by a 98% vote to reject their involvement in the proposed development of about two dozen buildings currently owned by the London Borough of Camden.
At the suggestion of the then Deputy Leader of Camden, Councillor John Dickie, and with the help of CDS, WHHA shortlife tenants have formed a housing cooperative called C.R.I.S.H., Camden Residents In Shortlife Housing. The intention is to attract the necessary outside funding, and to create proper housing for themselves as well as housing gain for Camden by acquiring the buildings and by putting them into satisfactory order working in cooperation with the tenants and using environmentally intelligent methods.
This contrasts with the Genesis/PCHA/Pathmeads/WHHA system which has involved simultaneously converting one-bed flats into family homes whilst converting family homes into one-bed flats, suing all the tenants involved over twelve to eighteen months with all the void losses and legal costs that that incurs, along with the ripping out of brand new ceilings, floorings etc etc, fitting new boilers whose exhaust gases could decimate London's bird wildlife by roasting, and filling the premises with glued products and toxic chemicals generally at the taxpayers expense.
What have floor boards ever done to you, Mr. McGregor?
Camden's own tenants are rightly sceptical about the proposed Arms Length Management Organisation currently being suggested. The arms in question are, allegedly, a little on the short side. CRISH offers a model well worth keeping an eye on.
And as for Genesis/PCHA? They made just under £20m profit last year. They won't go hungry. If they do, then they can draw on the £1,000,000,000 assets that they have accumulated off the backs of taxpayers, ratepayers and tenants.
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Burglar sues householder for £35,000?
Regulars will remember that the Housing Corporation's troubleshooter, Greg Lomax, apparently blamed the downfall of WHHA on the Finance Director, Douglas Wilson. He was summarily dismissed but subsequently took out a case against Pathmeads/WHHA for wrongful dismissal.
An Inside Housing article of last November has Housing Benefit being blamed for the crash. So, where was the gradual build up? Why did other housing associations escape? Instead of going to court and presumably winning, WHHA have used our rent money to settle with an out-of-court payment of about £29,000 + legal costs.
Why?
It would appear that WHHA do not have the confidence that they would win. So we must conclude that the cause of the crash of our housing association is not known and that nothing has been learned.
In the meanwhile, the WHHA's debt when Genesis/PCHA took over, £3m, has risen to £11.5m as of a year ago. What is the current figure?
According to the Group Director of Finance, David Levenson, it is secret.
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Schadenfreude Department: The Corporation's crisis - Update.
"Computer Weekly" reports that the contentious I.T. deal has been signed: "Housing Corporation confirms controversial outsourcing deal".
"Housing Today" report that the Corporation has called in the gumshoes. And of course, who will be paying for this? Yes, you are almost certainly right. "Housing Corporation calls in private detective for leak probe"
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Housing Corporation takes on the M.O.D. busters.
In a fit of uncharacteristic courage which is easily confusable with foolhardiness, the Housing Corporation has locked horns in combat with Computer Weekly who have recently humiliated the Government and the Ministry of Defence over the Chinook helicopter, laden with V.I.P.s, which crashed into the Isle of Mull in the early nineties (try this link if you want to know more about this) and have recently received the PPA "Campaigning magazine of the year" award.
1. Housing staff walk out over outsourcing plan. By Mike Simons. 23 Jan.
2. Let logic prevail from Gateways. Leader article by the Editor. 23 Jan.
3. Housing Corporation lost data on tube. By Mike Simons. 30 Jan.
4. Computer Weekly resists gag. By Lindsay Clark. 30 Jan.
Emailing: The Editor, Karl Schneider - Mike Simons - Lindsay Clark
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Comment on the Inside Housing article of Dec. 12th 2002.
The story "Genesis learns takeover lessons" (Inside Housing, 20 December) speaks of the Housing Corporation's view of "the importance of legal 'due diligence', keeping staff informed and having a media policy".
"Due diligence"? Self evident. "Keeping staff informed" - Yes. But why were tenants, the main victims, maintained deliberately in the dark? And lastly, of course, the opportunity for spin is not going to be overlooked by them, it seems.
The Corporation appears to have missed the point of the Genesis debacle, and that is that industrial troubleshooting is a highly skilled occupation, and cannot be left to regular housing association staff. By so doing, the Corporation has watched Paddington Churches/Genesis staff run WHHA's debt up from £3million to £11.5 million, a service for which they have charged us £2 million. And they excuse themselves with the ridiculous assertion that new debtors have arrived on the scene. WHHA's debt increases by around £2,000 per day. We can't afford Genesis.
The corporation must now send back a troubleshooter to straighten out the mess. Genesis/PCHA must now declare that no tenants will be evicted under Ground 9 to sell empty property, which is Genesis' only idea, apart from changing WHHA's name in a Windscale inspired piece of lunacy.
If it is to hope to win back respect from the sector that it is supposed to be regulating the Housing Corporation will find a way to pay for the damage that it has done .
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WHHA's name has changed ... but written confirmation is withheld.
Round about the last week of November the name of WHHA changed to Pathmeads Housing Association. But in an extraordinary move the company secretary, Sandra Raine, is not putting into the post written confirmation of the new situation.
Why?
This could be serious for some tenants, principally temporary ones, who may have had tenancy papers drawn up in the name of WHHA, now, apparently non existent, and their legal position could be, to put it mildly, odd.
Ms Raine was asked by fax to clarify the position on December 10th. In a telephone conversation today, Dec 19th, she didn't apologise for having not done this, and has no immediate plans to do it. (For the benefit of anyone who can't believe it, the phone number of PCHA is 020-8537 4537).
And what does Pathmeads stand for? PCHA's Absurd Team Have Managed Eight millions of Additional Debt So far.
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Camden New journal: "Listed block faces sale". Front page. 5/12/02
By Lee Gordon.
A front page piece on the refusal of councillors to rule out the sale of New Court, Hampstead, to developers. This historic site is protected by English Heritage. Tenants only wish that they were too. See the CNJ on the street now and in libraries.
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The Executive committe: the results.
Interim report
Agenda Item 10. The short life houses and the Co-op.
Both resolutions were passed. Much praise and support for the CRISH co-op was expressed, and the CDS option was generally favoured. PCHA/Genesis attracted a number of averse comments - including a remark from Councillor Gerry Harrison that he "had had run ins with PCHA". See the web page of Camden's report or see the .doc version of the report (if you have a pretty late version of Microsft Word - otherwise you will certainly get some odd results).
Agenda Item 16. New Court.
All resolutions passed except the one to allow sales. English heritage's decision to allow ten one-bed flats to be converted into five three-bed flats helps the viability of the project. See the web page of Camden's report or see Camden's report as a .doc file (if you have a pretty late version of Microsft Word - otherwise you may get odd results).
More soon.
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WHHA's Annual General Meeting. In secret again. 29th September 2002.
Under the thunderous roar of WHHA's air conditioning the annual yawn of the A.G.M. took place. The first surprise, admittedly a pleasant one, was the appearance of a non shareholder in the form of Sue Robertshaw, Camden's assistant Director of Strategy and Resources. This confirms that PCHA/WHHA will treat their rules as it suits them.
The minutes of last year's meeting were criticised as being too thin and insubstantial; the chair ignored this and they were then simply passed.
Tom McGregor said that there had been 29 staff redundancies but omitted to say what the golden handshakes had cost. [The disappearance of Sunita Parbhaker is rumoured to have set us back £50,000].
We have an accumulated deficit of £11.5m and total owings of £27m. The group Director of Finance, yet another new face, David Levenson, said that getting WHHA trading on an even keel would "take a certain amount of time". [Wow. These accountants are demon communicators]. Adrian B led a spirited charge for information on how the 160 shortlife people have had over quarter of a million pounds in management costs booked to them. McGregor huffed and puffed and no useful response came out. The chair of Management Board, Richard Parkhill, then refused to provide the information.
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. 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.
Adrian asked why there were no tenants on Management Board. After an extended period of evasion, Mr. McGregor said that temporary leasing tenants weren't going to get representation. Permanent tenants were being made to wait because "PCHA was keen to devise a permanent policy". [Haven't they got permanent tenants of their own, for Heavens' sake?] And as for shortlife, he was waiting to see if they floated off into their own Co-op. (In the meanwhile, an important period of time, they were getting no representation on the Board).
David Levenson was asked about the amount of legal costs spent by WHHA. He said it was about the same as last year. Peter pointed out that this was not a helpful answer since last year's figure was not known. Levenson conceded the worthlessness of this piece of communication.
Legal costs remain secret.
Adrian asked why the minutes of Management Board's meetings were secret - despite the fact that WHHA always published them until PCHA came along. In an extraordinary statement Richard Parkhill explained that WHHA had gone under because of some of its practices. He actively implied that releasing Management Board minutes was therefore a bad practice.
In another bizarre exchange with Tom McGregor, Peter asked if the old head offices had been sold. He was told "Yes". (How come? Don't forget that it has recently been squatted).Who to? Lots of fumbling about and general indecisive muttering went on. Then it became clear that something very odd was going on. Peter guessed and challenged that WHHA had sold their offices to PCHA. Mr. McGregor admitted this with embarrassment - this was part of a loan deal. [N.B. - PCHA have assets of £1B].
The Special General Meeting.
The chair cut short debate, and went on to the Special General Meeting. This had one item; to change the name of WHHA to "Pathmeads" since PCHA are of the opinion that the name "WHHA" has negative connotations.
Adrian pointed out the futility; Peter mentioned Windscale, and said that the problem of WHHA was not its name; it was its managers, namely PCHA, since we had a debt of £3m when they arrived, and after 18 months of their work, it is now £11.5m.
Because PCHA has swamped our shareholders, this (and any other motion they may care to produce) was voted through.
(What does Pathmeads stand for? PCHA's Absurd Team Have Managed Eight millions of Additional Debt So far).
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PCHA's Tenant Profile Form: Entirely voluntary.
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 asociation - for instance: date of birth - National Insurance number - employment status - medical details - ethnic origin including details of those of mixed race - 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 entirley up to us. If you don't like it, tear it up.
Why didn't you say so on the form, Ms. Williams Obasi?
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Inside Housing: "West Hampstead sell off: Councils' 'compensation' "
This report covers the Housing Corporation's efforts to placate the boroughs for bailing out the housing asociation which they, allegedly, watched sail onto the rocks. The unnamed spokeswoman spoke of ensuring that there is no loss of social housing. These people appear so focussed on property that they appear to have forgotten that it is the tenants that have suffered most from this sorry mess by seeing their promised proper housing sink below the waves. (Remember those rent increases of the early nineties and the promise of future housing in return?)
Click here for Inside Housing's full report
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Kilburn Times: "Family's fury after repairs delay". 14th August.
It would seem that the disgraceful story of the Sheehans (see below) has not been resolved almost a year on. See page 3. This time PCHA/Genesis/WHHA are blaming the insurance company.
Why doesn't PCHA simply pay and allow itself to be repaid in due course?
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The first "Great Joke of the Third Millenium".
It must be well over a year since the decision was made to sell WHHA's old head office at Grangeway to reduce the debt mountain. The staff moved out before Christmas.
Squatters have moved in.
Why was the building not sold? Why have we lost the interest on around £2m to £3m for over 7 months? What is the amount?
About £73,000 and rising.
At least some homeless people have somewhere to live at the moment. That must be some consolation.
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Camden New journal: Plea to Town Hall: save our homes from sell-off". 15/8/02
1. Article by Lee Gordon on last Wednesday's deputation to Camden Council. (See below). Page 5.
2. Letters to the Editor. Page 12.
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Camden at the crossroads: they vote to turn both Left and Right.
At a meeting of Camden's Executive Council on 7th August, councillors had before them two motions:
1. to talk to PCHA with a view to selling them last remaining two dozen houses in which we live.
2. to talk to us about setting up a suitable housing co-operative to receive the buildings.
They voted to do both. Councillors listened to two delegations from about a dozen tenants, one opposing the waiving of clawback clauses on WHHA owned houses that Genesis/PCHA want to sell to pay off the WHHA debt (or rather the mounting interest). See below. PCHA can sell these houses which WHHA bought off the council, but the issue is the clawback money which Camden negotiated just in case they should try to do just that. Councillors voted to wait until the AGM to see what WHHA's financial position is.
The second delegation outlined the benefits of voting for the option to help in the formation of a co-op.
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Adrian Bell, chair of Genesis: Crisis? What crisis?
Adrian Bell, senior executive of the Royal Bank of Canada and the new chair of the Genesis Housing Group, in his address in the group Annual Report for this year, entitled "The Cycle of Life", states:
"It saddens me to see nothing but ill informed stories in the media regarding the financial situation at WHHA. Certainly the situation was serious; certainly there are many lessons to be learnt. But the overriding point is that without the management and substantial financial and human resource input from Genesis, along with the support of the Housing Corporation and our local authority partners, WHHA would simply no longer exist. Three thousand homes would have been lost to social housing. They have not."
It is hard to be sure what planet Mr. Bell is living on. In order to give him a bit of grounding, and to get some replies to some questions, here are some for him to look at.
1. Tenants understand that the WHHA debt when Genesis took over was £3million. We are told that the position in February was £8m. Is this true? What is the debt now?
2. How is this debt being currently funded? Is it true that the daily cost of this debt is £1000?
3. Why did the then Group Finance Director refuse to answer questions on this matter at the recent WHHA AGM?
4. You have asked Camden council for clearance to sell homes to pay off the debt and have estimated that 20 - 35 properties may ultimately need to be sold. How will you do this if you do not have this number of empty permanent housing stock?
5. Why have you mounted expensive legal cases aganst three tenants to get them classed as Assured tenants rather than Secure tenants if you are not planning to use Ground 9 to evict them, and sell their homes?
6. Some ex-Camden family homes have been sold. Another has been rented AT MARKET RATES effectively to the council's Homeless Persons Unit. Having bought the house with a great deal of taxpayers' money and having done it up with more of the same, you are charging Housing Benefit around £750 per week instead of the more usual rates for social housing. You may be able to do this legally but do you consider this to be morally right?
7. How long will it take you to get these buildings sold? How much will be paid out in total in interest by the time these houses are sold?
8. Is it true that Genesis has assets of £1,000,000,000 built up on the backs of the taxpayer and the tenant? Why don't you effectively return some of your accumulated wealth to those from whom it came by paying off the debt, and be done with it?
9. Why has WHHA Limited not got its own Finance Director or Manager?
10. Why is PCHA's AGM this Wednesday (July 31st) being held in secret?
11. Why are WHHA tenants being refused access to their personal files?
12. Why are WHHA's Management Board agendas and minutes secret?
Mr Bell is chairman of the Royal Bank of Canda (Europe). Their mission statement has several aspects but includes the sentance:
"Our focus is on improving performance in each of our businesses to achieve consistent and superior returns for our shareholders".
Is this why he has just been chosen as a chairman in social housing? But the Genesis constitution doesn't allow this. Mr. Bell can only use salaries to divi out. Is this why his chief executive is believed to get £3,000 per week?
POSTSCRIPT. On July 26th the chair of Genesis was asked to check these facts, and was offered a Right to Reply. As of September 20th, he has not responded.
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Our South London friends sharpen their spears.
WHHA shortlifers usually feel that they are an isolated case of systematic abuse over decades, as the Housing Corporation troubleshooter, Greg Lomax, put it in February of last year (see here). Since Mr. Lomax's comments, which were made towards the end of his reign, under the direction of Genesis and PCHA, our abuse has, allegedly, increased greatly.
But there are many other shortlife groups out there, the most celebrated being the Rushcroft Road Action Group, which includes the now legendary Gary Bruton. They were shortlifers with the London & Quadrant Housing Association until the council, Lambeth, took back the houses with them still living in them. The tenants are claiming that they are tenants of the council.
In a major article on page 2 of the June 27th issue, Property People discusses the case that the tenants are taking against Lambeth. The case is being driven forward by Anna Arnone, a tenant and legal student.
For the full text, go to Property People and scroll down the page to "Residents take landlord to court over tenancy rights"
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Radio 4. "Any Answers". Dimbleby set right on housing solutions. 8/6/02.
In reply to a question on how, with continually escalating housing prices, the problem of housing could ever be solved, the T.A.'s chair, Peter Rutherford, went on air to say that, if the councils are to be refused the chance to do the work, then the problem could be solved with not-for-profit public interest housing associations who are properly accountable to both tenants and funders. A bit like the councils. The attitudes and policies of existing h.a.s were a real difficulty. He quoted the banking of £15 million profit by Paddington Churches Housing Association whilst so many of their problems lie unsolved. See their accounts, March 2000.
A clearly shocked Jonathan Dimbleby asked if these profits were distributed, and the answer came back that Genesis/PCHA were not allowed to. Instead the directors and staff vote themselves unnecessarily high salaries. (The Chief Executive, Mr. Anu Vedi, is understood to get about £3,000 per week), and despite having assets of around £1B, they feel the need to go, cap in hand, to the Housing Corporation for more taxpayers cash.
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HOUSING TODAY: "NEW NAME FOR TROUBLED RSL". 24TH May 2002.
Apparently we are to get a new name in a month or two. An example of the Windscale School of Image Improvement. Anu Vedi, C.E.O. of Genesis is quoted as saying "This will reflect the new and wider scope of the new organisation". In actuality, the scope of the new organisation is to be narrower - just the private sector leasing, with shortlife hopefully sorted and permanent housing moved to PCHA.
Only now have they checked to see if the proposed name of Beechwood, which goes back a year and a quarter was actually in use. It would seem that it is. So, having printed up all that literature and all those colour page ads in the housing press, the name will be scrapped.
Tenants have every right to question the technical, managerial and financial competence of those in charge of WHHA now.
What did the Acting Director, Elaine Sanders, actually do in her last job? What experience does her boss, Tom McGregor, have in the field of troubleshooting and managing of industrial wastelands?
Why has our debt gone up from £3M when they took over to £8M a few months ago?
What is the figure now?
Why did the GroupFinance Director, Dominic Gibb, refuse to talk about this at the recent A.G.M.?
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C.N.J.: "New journal camera saves Iranian refugee from eviction". 24th May 2002. Page 4.
By Lee Gordon. (Photography: Martin Newman).
An Iranian refugee who has just started the second stage of a three stage Home Office assessment procedure has had his status revoked by Camden's Homeless Persons Unit. This was confirmed by the council's Temporary Housing Group. The eviction did not go ahead on Monday because the paperwork went wrong, the landlord claimed.
"Genesis/PCHA/WHHA, managers of the property on behalf of Camden, know how to evict people. They do a lot of it. I find this excuse idiotic" said Peter Rutherford, Chair WHHA Tenants' Association (in exile). "At the last count that was not classed secret, WHHA alone had 180 empty flats. Camden have twice that."
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C.N.J. "ANGELS CAUGHT IN HOUSING MELTDOWN". Page 2. 25th April.
By Lee Gordon.
The article covers the issuing of Notices to Quit to two key workers, nurses, in a bid to get their house empty. There are no funds to do the necessary repairs. The property has been empty now for about four months, and the loss of rent is around the £4,000 mark.
One of them is now being crippled by a rent of £200 per week, and the other has found temporary nursing work in Kent.
There were serious bad management issues and alleged gross disrepair matters which have been going on for a couple of years.
London is likely to lose two nurses on a permanent basis, and their places will be filled by agency staff at around £100,000 per year extra for each lost nurse.
Opinions on why this might make sense could be sought from Camden Council's Housing Department (tel: 020-7974 4444) or WHHA/PCHA/Genesis on 020-8537 4537.
Note: As of April 2004, not a shilling in rent has been obtained since the eviction.
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INSIDE HOUSING: "CATASTROPHIC DEFICIT REVEALED BY NEW ACCOUNTS". 1/3/02.
By Gavin Curry.
The article paints a bleak picture of WHHA finances. In the year up to March 2001, WHHA suffered a deficit of £4.1M compared to £212,000 for the previous year.
However, it was not pointed out that the accounts are now 11 months old, and the Genesis Director of Finance, Dominic Gibb refused at the A.G.M. to describe the position now.
The article says "Most importantly, no tenants have ended up in the streets". But at the A.G.M., Mr. Gibb was asked to confirm that no tenants would be evicted to enable their homes to be sold on the open market. He refused.
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TIME OUT: "RATS AND RACISM ... " AND GENESIS. Page 12. 20/02/02.
By Judy Kerr.
By way of introduction ... the Genesis Housing Group is a bucket containing Paddington Churches Housing Association, Sutherland h.a. and Beechwood, an empty box destined to receive WHHA. PCHA is to handle permanent flats, and Beechwood the temporary. Sutherland is a shared ownership outfit with responsibility for key workers (nurses, firemen and so on).
We have a situation where WHHA has isssued Notices to Quit to two nurses and has got them out to achieve yet another empty house whilst Sutherland is supposed to be looking after them with little or no experience in temporary accommodation (that is PCHA and WHHA's bag).
Judy Kerr's article in Time Out describes how (without experience in this tricky field) Sutherland is responsible for charging underpaid nurses £150 per week for:
1. unhygienic sanitary facilities
2. non-functioning/ malfunctioning appliances
3. defaulting on promises about central heating
4. refurbishment amounting sometimes to "a lick of paint"
5. bad ratio of facilities to people
6. blocked fire exits
7. rats, roaches and rubbish
8. extra rent because they are in "refurbished" flats
9 ... and rent rises from April 1st.
A Genesis spokeswoman said "As much of the improvement work centres on legislation and security compliance, the results may not be immediately apparent".
They aren't, you are dead right.
She went on: "We have initiated discussions to set up regular tenant liaison meetings at which views and concerns can be listened to".
That's not what the nurses want - they want the rats rehoused and the work done. Anyway, Genesis' Deputy Director of Development, Tony Hall, has recently closed down WHHA's only tenants liaison committee set up by Camden's Chair of Housing, Brian Weekes, and so they should not hold their breath waiting for tenant initiatives.
[They talk of rent strikes - can be tricky - but rent could be paid into an Escrow Account]
[On its own, PCHA made an operating profit of £15,505,000: year ending 31/3/2000]
[Genesis' top man is believed to get £3,000 per week out of our rent money]
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The meeting was chaired by Richard Parkhill, chair of WHHA, with Sandra Raine, Company Secretary on his left and on his right, Dominic Gibb, Genesis Group Director of Finance.
A paper was handed to everyone who attended comprising a statement, a Property People front page story and the response.
The main points of the meeting was to approve the accounts and to verify the minutes of three previous meetings, 28th September 2000, 30th January 2001 and 25th June 2001. This last meeting's minutes contained what is regarded as a very important error which needed correcting. This was Mr. McGregor's statement that he "would abide by" the Lomax Declarations of 15th Feb. 2001 which was omitted from the minutes.
However, instead of dealing with each of the three sets separately and in a normal fashion, the first two were bundled together and dealt with firstly. The final meeting's minutes were handled secondly. At this point, Peter Rutherford, the T.A.'s chair started to take an interest, ready for the "third" session of minute verification. And of course, they had just been passed in their incorrect, allegedly, form.
Peter explained: "I apologised for my lack of attention, and asked the meeting to drop back and deal with the minutes of the third meeting again because the minutes were seriously in error."
At this point, the chair, Richard Parkhill, jumped in and refused to allow the meeting even a chance to decide to have another look at the third meeting's minutes.
"It just goes to show how totally lacking in natural fairness and justice these people are", Peter said. "I made a mistake, but they have a vested interest in steam rollering through what is seen as a false record of an event which is very important for tenants".
The issue is before the Housing Ombudsman.
All three sets of minutes for the three meetings had many "matters arising" from them which should have been followed up to ensure progress is made. Mr. Parkhill refused to allow any of these matters arising to be discussed.
In a question about the alleged incompetence of the auditors, Dominic Gibb said that he "wasn't convinced that we were provided with the service we deserved" but refused to undertake to take legal action against them for the recovery of alleged losses. This was under review, he said. More talk of the mess WHHA got us into - 1,800 landlords accounts that were not reconciled, apparently. On the subject of whether he would guarantee that tenants would not be evicted to sell houses empty, he refused to give such an assurance.
One of the shareholders, and a member of PCHA's Management Board, Ivan Weekes, objected to having WHHA management referred to as "grossly mismanaging". What else can we say? Does he want us to lie? There was talk of basic tenant issues and a number of shareholders objected. Tenants suggested that those shareholders should just go. They wouldn't, and grumbled on. Peter added "This is what happens when an outsider housing association comes in and fills up the shareholders register with a load of outsiders who don't give a damn. The shareholders are important. They have the final say. Our shareholding has been completely trashed by Genesis/PCHA".
There was talk of the £6M - £8M deficit in WHHA's situation. Because the meeting was about the March 2001 accounts, and because we did not have that deficit then, Mr. Gibb refused to speak on the matter or anything that he did not like which was not in the March 2001 accounts.
It used to be called "working to rule".
After much talk of why Genesis have no tenants on their Management Board, and of why PCHA's record is so poor, it became clear that WHHA has no intention of permitting tenants on the Board at any time in the useful immediate future. There followed this exchange:
Peter R. "Why are you so scared of tenants?"
Richard P. "That is an interesting question".
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IN SECRET: WHHA'S ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. THIS THURSDAY 21 FEB.
As one would expect, the meeting is closed to all but registered shareholders and the minutes of the last meeting are secret.
It will be held at their Neasden Offices at 6.30pm. (i.e. Chancel House, Neasden Lane, London NW10 2AY).
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"WHHA DIRTY TRICKS?"
by Lee Gordon, page 2.
The article describes Councillor Flick Rea's evidence to the Scrutiny panel in which allegations of collusion by Labour within the council and WHHA were made.
"CALL TO REVIEW RIGHT TO BUY AS HOUSE PRICES SOAR"
by Tony Neal.
The second article, in the Property Section, mentions the Lib Dems' demand that Camden refuse to sell further property to WHHA [They must mean PCHA]
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CAMDEN'S SCRUTINY PANEL. GENESIS IN THE CHAIR.
[Editorial comment in square brackets]
Camden Council received evidence from Ms. Elaine Sanders who seems to describe herself differently every time she appears somewhere. This time she is Head of Temporary Housing including Acting Director of WHHA.
Asked about what went wrong, she blamed offices split between Grangeway and Tottenham, high arrears, bad records. And "negative differentials on temporary leasing", which apparently is a nice way of describing the practice of buying loaves of bread at 70p knowing that you will only sell them for 50p. Poor computer - an accounting system not a management one - they were unable to get the landlords' names and addresses out of it - has been for two and a half years or more, and is still in use. Poor staff morale, suspicious of management. Contractors unwilling to do more maintenance work until they had been paid for what they had already done.[What a load of communists]. Poor turnover of empty flats. Temporary housing was too spread out - over fifteen local authority areas.
On the subject of short-life, she said that the problems were complex. Poor condition. No resources to repair. She agreed with residents that there was a need to act (???). She was talking to Camden officials.
Average yearly costs: Permanent: £11.700 Shortlife: £3,950
Average yearly rent: Permanent :£10,950. Shortlife: £2,740.
( n.b. permanent flats must have an average of 2 - 3 bedrooms)
Shortlife runs at a loss, she alleges. [Please note this figure of £3,950. It is what they say SL costs them to run per flat].
There is now a "performance management culture" whatever in reality that means. More focused. Over 100 staff.
At this point, the chair, John Rolfe, accused her of having a secretive culture. This earned the first of a long string of "don't knows" or "no comments".
When asked what went wrong with the finances at WHHA, she said that private sector leasing needed tight management which wasn't there and then blamed the losses incurred by shortlife housing (!).
When asked why the auditors didn't pick up the problems earlier, she said that she couldn't speak on their behalf. [She wasn't being asked to speak on their behalf. She was being asked for her opinion on why the auditors couldn't spot the problem. [Shades of Enron?]
Could the board have done anything? She didn't know.
Could the council have seen it coming? She didn't know.
Councillor Janet Guthrie asked if the Council had enough checks and balances. ES replied that PCHA had good relationship and data exchange. Cllr Heather Johnson asked if PCHA had a crisis, would Camden be able to see it coming. ES didn't know.
On the subject of whether the Housing Corporation's intervention in October and WHHA's request to Camden to sell now three four bed houses and eventually 20 -35 WHHA permanent houses would be a quick enough solution, she did not know what the councillors were talking about.
Is this woman in charge?
She rambled on about group structures and communications, mentioning that Beechwood would be temporary, PCHA permanent and Sutherland shared ownership and housing key workers [but not that she had just evicted two key workers]. Cllr Rolfe explained the council's system of white papers which are public, and pink papers which were secret. Would she consider such a system? She didn't know.
Cllr Johnson asked if there was a problem with PSL sector, would it financially affect short-life or permanent sectors? She didn't know.
ES said that we would probably join Genesis on 1st April, initially as WHHA and eventually to become Beechwood.
Is WHHA still using the computer system which has been giving trouble for two and a half years? Yes. Hoping to change over to PCHA's system over Easter.
What is the latest estimate on the need to flog off permanent properties to stay afloat? She didn't know. She suggested 25 - 30 houses. Grangeway and Tottenham offices up for sale.
When will the March 2001 accounts be ready? After Annual General Meeting this Thursday 21st Feb. Meeting closed to all but registered shareholders. [Draft minutes of last meeting are secret]. Much discussion on housing benefit payment problems.
*** How can Camden and Genesis work better together? She said that Camden must agree their SL strategy and agree to sales to them. [There will be discussion on this issue].
She stressed need for tighter management controls and better skills. Also, that the Council should share the risks with them. [And the profits, presumably]. Almost with crocodile tears she spoke of £10,000 to £15,000 to keep a family in Bed & Breakfast per year [but omitted to mention that the government ends up paying for this, and that two family homes have recently been converted into one-bed flats just to service the Messina 7 Project]
Waffle on the subject of the council having members sitting on the Management Board. She spoke of practical difficulties. [In the past, the problem was getting them to show up]
How much spent on repairs? She did not speak of temporary housing or short-life, needless to say, but instead said that the figure for permanent (i.e. usually new) housing was £550 per annum.
Cllr. Rolfe asked the $64,000 question. How was there a shortfall of £5million in the reckoning? She said that WHHA had not accounted for it. [Phew! What an intellect].
On the role of the Housing Corporation in the whole mess, she had no comment.
Cllr. Wauchope asked why the Hackney housing benefit problem was spotted so late. She didn't know.
Cllr. Fulbrook asked for details of councillors who had sat on WHHA's board. She didn't know.
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HOUSING TODAY: CAMDEN PROBES WEST HAMPSTEAD. 31/1/02. Page 2.
In brief, the L.B. Camden Scrutiny Panel 's interview of the Housng Corporation was covered. Councillor John Rolfe, Chair, is quoted as saying "All checks and balances seem to have failed". Councillor Jane Schopflin said "One gets the impression that not all the proper information is always there. You have to depend on boards making their assessment."
Derek King, Regulation Director of the Housing Corporation is quoted as blaming the computer. The National Audit Office would be consulting on access to information about RSLs once WHHA's rescue package was in place - Hacas Chapman Hendy had (sic) produced a report on the fiasco.
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UPDATE: SCRUTINY PANEL INTERVIEWS HOUSING CORPORATION. 28TH JAN.
Having condemned the culture of secrecy which contributed much to WHHA's downfall, the Housing Corporation's Director of Regulation, Derek King, used secrecy to evade any question that came close to disclosing anything about what happened and how such can be avoided in the future. For instance, when the panel's chair, Councillor John Rolfe, asked if the council could have seen the crisis coming, Mr. King would not reply, and instead said that it might prejudice the HACAS Chapman Hendy inquiry which is supposed to be under way. [Is this social housing's very own "5th Amendment"?]
Mr. King wants to be more forward looking, [which means that the lessons of the past may get glossed over] and has a programme of risk assessment being put together by Robson Rhodes [Yes, WHHA's now ex-auditors] and others.
He says that the WHHA debacle has lessons for him to learn. [Very possibly, Mr. King, but in the meanwhile, with the anticipated sale of 20 - 35 houses, about 100 of us stand to be evicted to pay for his education].
John Rolfe asked about complaints submitted by tenants to the Corporation. Mr. King admitted that he doesn't have the staff; that it is a job for the Independent Housing Ombudsman, but the Ombudsman cannot deal with governance issues, and said that his office can't distinguish individual service delivery complaints from governance complaints. [Won't someone give him a hand?]
He says that new measures will enable him "to pick up problems earlier than we were able to in the past". [Able to? He had a Regulation Accountant at the heart of WHHA's offices and who was handed a damning document at the 1999 AGM and she appears to have done nothing. What else does he want? A video?].
He says that his office will phone the last half a dozen tenants who have filed complaints to see if they are satisfied, and that his office takes seriously any report that indicates weakness of management. [So, what went wrong?]
Cllr Piers Wauchope has to ask three or four times how many other h.a.s had got into trouble before any sort of response came out of Mr. King. A trickle, he said. [This needs a further look]. The Concillor asked why a Statutory Inquiry was ruled out. "We need to keep WHHA afloat to enter Genesis", Mr. King said. [And why not do that and have a Statutory Inquiry?]
Cllr Sybil Shine asked why he doesn't visit houses. Mr. King said that they visited a few brand new refurbed showcases! [The answer may be that the Housing Corporation is spread sheet focussed. Houses are cold and untidy things].
CllrJohn Rolfe asked if the problem was that the proper information wasn't there. Mr. King said Yes. [Possibly the information was there but that it was actually incorrect].
Councillor Julian Fulbrooke asked if late accounts were a normality. Mr. King said that 2 - 3 weeks was not uncommon. [WHHA's last set are now almost three years old].
Peter Wright, of the Camden Federation of Private Tenants, asked about tenants in governance. Mr. King said that they encouraged it. Understanding residents interests should be part of the board's interest. [So, what went wrong?].
Cllr Rolfe asked the $64,000 question about whether our homes were being used as security for loans based on whether we were in them or evited if the worse came to the worse. The answer could not be given. It varies from lender to lender and deal to deal.
Cllr David Horam asked about information disclosure and transparency. Mr. King said that there was scope for h.a.s to be more open.
Mr. King offers a programme and a process of improvement when the Scrutiny Panel has a deadline and urgency.
Cllr Heather Johnson asked what indicators there were to an impending crash. Mr. King replied that the computer system installed in April 1999 was a mistake. [Ye olde chestnutte].
Another $64,000 question from Cllr Wauchope: Why did WHHA crash? Mr. King said that we should ask Genesis when they visit on February 13th. [We will, Mr. King, but the odds that Ms Elaine Sanders, Director of WHHA, (who stands in for Mr. Tom McGregor who mysteriously has found a clash in his diary, and seems to regard the Panel as less important) will say "I don't know" currently stands at 99/100 on]. Mr King said that he didn't want to answer the question and muddy the waters and get in the way. Emphasis on getting WHHA into Genesis.
Cllr Rolfe suggested that all checks and balances had failed. Mr. King could only say that HACAS were having their own investigation.
The Housing Corporation's Director of Regulation heard at least half a dozen requests for advice on what happened, how the crash could have been predicted, and requests for health indicators etc. He hid behind a screen of silence based on a supposition that any help he might give now, and now is when it is wanted, would somehow prejudice the H.A.C.A.S. report which does not appear to have even started. "Be wary of secretive organisations", he said.
We will.
(N.B. Derek King tells us to expect an annual General Meeeting in six weeks. This is when we discover what sort of black hole these "professionals" have got us in. Entry into the Genesis Group around April 1st.)
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CAMDEN NEW JOURNAL. 24th JAN. "TOWN HALL BLAMED FOR COLLAPSE OF WHHA"
By Lee Gordon.
This article is based on the Full Report of the tenants' address to and interview by the Camden Scrutiny Panel.
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CAMDEN'S SCRUTINY PANEL INTERVIEWS TENANTS. 16TH JAN.
After the crash of WHHA, Camden Council set up a Scrutiny Panel to look into what could be learned from the mess. Four tenants went down and spoke for about an hour. Their Full Report contains the main points.
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KILBURN TIMES: 16TH JANUARY. "HOUSE IS LEFT AWASH."
In a front page article, the plight of a family in Kingsgate Road, N.W.6. who have lost much of their bathroom ceiling due to non fixing of a persistent leak is related.
The Sheehans have had this leak for eighteen months.
PCHA/WHHA say that "if their is a problem" that they will send a contractor to fix it.
Yes, Mr. PCHA, there is a problem. And it would probably have cost shillings and sixpences if it had been dealt with when first reported. With the likely cost of replacement furnishings etc., the cost may well be either a four figure sum or even a five figure one if there are structural implications.
We have a new Maintenance Manager. If he can get to grips with what is going on, then there is a chance of change. Otherwise, tenants will continue to go to solicitors and use that route as the only realistic remedy.
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--- 2002 ---
NEWSLETTER: "WE ARE ON THE MOVE".
This is proclaimed in the new WHHA newsletter which arrived two days before they moved out of the Grangeway premises . The move, not the first manned landing on the surface of the sun which many might have hoped for, is instead to some inaccessible location in Neasden. As from now, they are at Chancel House, Neasden Lane, London NW10 2AY.
Office Telephone: 020-8438 5300 More phone numbers below.
Maintenance: 020-8438 5319 (or 0845 224 0131 - out of hours: 0845 224 0141).
On page 2, they say that "...many of the outstanding financial issues have been resolved..." but doesn't mention that our debt problem has risen from £3m in February to £8m - £24m depending on what report is believed.
"As newspapers sometimes publish inaccurate stories..." We are much influenced by the documents submitted by PCHA/WHHA and the Housing Corporation submission to Camden Council on October 10th saying that the position was so bad that three family houses had to be sold now, and that they envisaged 20 -35 more properties in the frame.
"...less than 5% opposed the change" is their comment on the S.G.M. vote to enter the Genesis Group in June. True, but since 90% were strangers, this means that 50% of people associated with WHHA voted against.
"Please be reassured that we only plan to sell properties that are empty". There are very few empties in permanent housing. How many such properties do you have at this moment, Mr. McGregor?
How many such houses have there been in our permanent stock over the last ten years?
Has there ever been an entire house empty all at once?
How long will it take to have 35 empty buildings ready for sale?
How much will our bank overdraft have gone up to by the time this is achieved?
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KILBURN TIMES. 6/12/01. HOUSING SCANDAL KILLS TRUST.
By Teresa Keane. Page 4.
In a half page article with a picture of a long suffering and/or exasperated Brian Weekes, Camden's Executive Member for Housing, the blame is laid squarely on the shoulders of the Housing Corporation.
The debt has apparently gone up to a possible £24m and the conclusion is that the treasury is not likely to foot the bill. What may be relevant is that the Housing Corporation may be playing a game of poker with the rate payers of North London, or at least their representatives. They tell Camden (Brent must be involved as well) that if they do not stump up an interest free loan of £300,000, and waive rights to the return of £150,000 when the three family homes are sold, then there will be financial and political melt down with the eviction into Bed & Breakfast of around 3,000 people/families. Camden, who have been misinformed in the past, simply believe this. The truth of the matter may lie in what the Corporation's troubleshooter told tenants on February 15th this year, namely that the Corporation have all manner of special and contingency funds which PCHA's Mr. Sonny Karanjia, Director of Development, was particularly good at loosening up.
Why hasn't he?
The residents of Camden, and probably Brent along with many north London boroughs, are soon going to sustain considerable losses caused by the regulator's failure to regulate.
The Housing Corporation should realise that there was talk a year or so ago of their being closed down. Their licence has less time to run than they imagine. Along with all who attended the AGM of 1999, their Regulation Accountant was handed a document which should have alerted her to fundamental problems, both moral and financial. She did not even reply. They have behaved quite extraordinarily, and their bosses, the National Audit Office, may well expect and require them, rather than the boroughs, to pay for the damage that their failure to regulate has caused.
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PCHA SUPPRESSES THE RULE BOOK.
In a bizarre move, PCHA are refusing to supply copies of any of the "Policy & Procedure" documents, listed below, which govern most of the Association's behaviour.
The ban, says Maria Power, Tenant Liaison Officer, is because the documents are being revised and updated. However, they are still in force, which is not much use to tenants if they are prevented from finding out what they consist of. Regardless of whether they are being updated or not, the procedures in force must be made available. The Independent Housing Ombudsman has been notified.
Tenants are being called upon to appeal against what often seems to be PCHA's arbitrary rulings but without knowing the rules. This is fundamentally unjust.
The Chair of the Housing Corporation, Baroness Dean, speaks of fundamental governance problems. You are dead right, Brenda.
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Shortlife prolonged for West Hampstead by Viv Jackson. 15th Nov. 2001. Tenants of the stricken West Hampstead Housing Association have been told their homes are safe from sale – despite needing nearly three times more rescue money than was initially estimated.
Genesis Housing Group, which hopes to incorporate the troubled housing association, needs to raise up to £8m in sales to meet West Hampstead’s obligations. It aims to sell up to £5.5m worth of void property with a £2.5m sale of two office properties to redeem between £6m and £8m of loans.
But the chair of West Hampstead’s tenants’ association “in exile”, Peter Rutherford, questioned how it was that the RSL’s stated initial £3m shortfall had risen to £8m.
“It does not explain how Mr Vedi’s Paddington Churches Housing Association, as management agents, ran the debt up to £8m in just eight months,” Rutherford alleged.
But a Genesis spokesman said: “The overall indebtedness has not grown substantially since February of this year. The figure of £3m was the value of the overdraft at the time.
“There were however other liabilities which existed then, which totalled a further £3-5m, but which had not been paid out. Some of these have now been paid, which has increased the overdraft... the total amount adds up to the £6-8m in our forecast.”
The spokesman said assurances that shortlife properties in Camden would not be sold, given by Housing Corporation troubleshooter Greg Lomax last year, will be honoured. “It is the intention to sell only void properties over a period of time, meaning no tenants will have to move out.”
But a report from Camden council said that the sale might not suffice.
Camden has made the unprecedented move of waiving rights to a £150,000 clawback on properties it sold to WHHA, as well as giving the RSL a £300,000 interest free loan.
The report states that if WHHA collapsed, Camden would have to shoulder the estimated £1.8m cost of housing 452 households currently in WHHA temporary accommodation.
“Genesis have undertaken not to sell properties where the local authority has strong reasons to request their omission, but if enough properties can not be sold then the insolvency of WHHA may be merely postponed rather than prevented,” the report says.
Housing Today
A Camden report does not agree with these findings.
Editorial Comment:
PCHA appear to have discovered £5m of extra liabilites since February. What on earth is going on? The accounts cannot be produced for the A.G.M., £5m of debts fall off the top of a wardrobe, and now they tell us that they are not going to sell off the Camden shortlife property that we live in.
Of course they aren't. It isn't theirs to sell. Its Camden's.
They want to sell "£5.2m of void property". They can't. They haven't got £5.2m of void property. The void levels in permanent housing is very good. It is most unlikely that there is even one house empty, let alone £5.2m worth of empty permanent housing available for sale.
Unless, of course, they get out their Notices To Quit.
There have to be real doubts about the financial competence of the PCHA staff running WHHA. If the Housing Corporation do not step in soon, then their competence may be up for scrutiny.
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KILBURN TIMES. "I WAITED TWENTY YEARS".
By Teresa Keane (page 8)
Available in some Camden libraries. Full report soon.
KILBURN TIMES. "TENANTS FACE CRUNCH". p.5. 25 OCT.
By Teresa Keane.
Available in some Camden libraries. Full report soon.
KILBURN TIMES. 18 OCT. FRONT PAGE STORY.
By Teresa Keane.
Available in some Camden libraries. Full report soon.
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CAMDEN NEW JOURNAL. 18TH OCT. "SPECIAL REPORT: £8M FIASCO THAT LED TO COLLAPSE OF TOP LANDLORD".
By Lee Gordon.
Available in some Camden libraries. Full report soon.
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CAMDEN TO SET UP A "SCRUTINY PANEL" ON HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS. 16th Oct.
At the Executive Meeting on 10th October (see below) councillors were so shocked by the mess of WHHA that they suggested to the new Scrutiny Commission that registered social landlords (housing associations) should be studied. This body met today, 16th, and voted to set up a Scrutiny Panel to look into RSLs.
One of our shortlife tenants, Jane Stockwell, delivered a speech to the Commission, and they voted to form the panel in a matter of a couple of weeks or so, and to set it rolling.
There are very many lessons to be learned from the WHHA/PCHA farce, and hopefully, Camden will set the agenda reasonably wide so that the whole situation can be looked into fully.
Back to the top "SECRET REPORT HIDES £8M DEBT". CAMDEN NEW JOURNAL. 11TH OCT. By Lee Gordon.
A major front page lead on this "Alice in Wonderland" debacle. Available free here and there, as you know, and of course, in all Camden libraries.
More soon.
Back to the top TENANTS' DEPUTATION TO CAMDEN COUNCIL. 10TH OCT.
About a dozen representatives of shortlife tenants presented a deputation to the new-style Executive Committee of the London Borough of Camden at the Town Hall.
The reason for this drastic move was that they discovered, by accident, that WHHA/PCHA are attempting to sell houses that have been bought from Camden at a discount and done up largely with taxpayers' money in order to bail themselves out of the financial mess that they are now in, which has, it is believed, become three times worse since PCHA moved in last February. And, to add insult to injury, WHHA/PCHA want Camden to waive a clause which says that if they were to sell such property, some of the discount should ber paid back.
The official papers say that between 20 - 35 properties may need to be sold in the end.
The delegation asked that tenants be consulted since WHHA's consultation effort, (the Weekes Meetings, now cancelled by Mr. Tony Hall, Deputy Director of Development, PCHA) although valuable, was very restricted, and PCHA's consultation totally non existent despite the Housing Corporation's order in their Section D8).
The new Executive Member for Housing, Councillor Brian Weekes, agreed that tenants would be consulted before and after the handling of the last block of Camden shortlife houses, i.e. where most of us now live. This is excellent news, and tenants can assure Mr. Weekes that they can bring to the table major benefits, housing gain and savings for him by re-routing waste and introducing creative new attitudes.
More on this story soon.
Back to the top "WHO WILL RID US OF THESE ACCURS'T FOOLS?"
PCHA's mathematicians have a strange relationship with their numbers, quite apart from their accountants' inability to offer a set of accounts for the year ending March 2001.
At the moment, a tenant is taking them to court for gross disrepairs. Leise Wilson, represented by the legendary Bindman and Partners, is talking roof and floor issues, involving pigeons, rats and so on. PCHA (or WHHA) have estimated essential repairs at £4,000, and the tenants' surveyor has suggested nearer to £12,000.
The legal costs for the tenant are estimated to end up at about £15,000 to £25,000, and it is a fair bet that PCHA's bill will be about the same. The tenant in question is regarded generally as a perfect example of a pre 1989 secure tenant, and is likely to win. Needless to say her tenancy assessment, as demanded by the Housing Corporation's troubleshooter, Mr. Greg Lomax, has not been done. If it had, there wouldn't be a court case.
If they lose, they will pick up both sets of costs, and so they are gambling around £50,000 of our rent money to save, by their reckoning, £4,000.
The house is owned by Camden but the work has to be done sometime. And the sooner it is done, the less it will cost. "A stitch in time ..." seems too advanced a concept for PCHA who have in assets a thousand million pounds or Camden who have money to spend at the moment.
Tenants should note that you do not have to be unemployed to be able to get legal aid. There is a contribution scheme for those on lower incomes. If, after removing the costs like rent, child care, travel, dependents, tax, N.I. contributions, council tax, you have only £2,767 per year left, you pay nothing. And up to £8,196 left, there is a sliding scale of contributions payable. And if you win, you will get it back. As for savings, if you have £3,000 or less, it doesn't count. And there is an arrangement for those with savings up to £6,750.
From a pool of 300 properties, PCHA (WHHA) have 30 disrepair cases going on at the moment. To quote, or maybe misquote Shakespeare:
"Who will rid us of these accurs'd fools?"
Back to the top PCHA's 68 YEAR OLD WIDOW IS OUT. 6TH AUGUST.
Tom Maybank's widow, Janda, is out of his flat. As reported below, she received a string of nasty letters from the housing association, and the flat has now joined the massive pool of empty flats that PCHA/WHHA seems to see as necessary.
They will lose rent on an uninhabitable dwelling which will deteriorate further and probably cause problems for others living in the house. And all to provide temporary accommodation which is not of an adequte standard for a housing programme which has gone bust.
Special additional note: October 11th 2003. The flat is still empty. Apart from buying some day old chicks and stamping on them, what could PCHA do for an encore?
Back to the top PCHA's ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. 26th July.
The A.G.M. of PCHA's shareholders took place today in Kilburn. A leaflet consisting of four recent press cuttings was prepared, and the Company Secretary, Ms. Sandra Raine, was asked if they could be distributed to those who had already arrived.
She refused to allow this, although a few went to late comers as they arrived..
The entire A.G.M. was held in secret, and this was rigorously enforced by Ms. Raine and her staff. That a registered social landlord can be allowed by the Housing Corporation to behave like this is surprising: but what is more strange is why they should bother to do so. It is reminiscent of the WHHA shareholders meeting in the spring which was as dull as it was secret.
However, any member of the public can ask for a free copy of their annual accounts, and if you would like one, their phone number is 020-8537 4537.
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C.N.J. 19TH JULY. "PENNILESS WIDOW FACES LIFE ON STREETS".
The Camden New Journal features an article by Lee Gordon on Mrs. Maybank and a photograph of her with the Notice to Quit sent to her by Paddington Churches. See below for futher details and for what jokingly passes for a justification from PCHA.
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EVICTING A 68 YEAR OLD - PCHA's JUSTIFICATION
A statement from PCHA's Press Office - Ms J. McGuire. Tel: 020-537 4537. Mrs Maybank has lived abroad for several years. She returned to this country following her husbandís death. As she was not living at the flat when Mr. Maybank died, she has no legal right to remain there.
We have a number of long standing WHHA residents who urgently require rehousing and it would be unfair to them if we were to lose the opportunity to recover this flat.
Mrs Maybank has approached Camden Council about rehousing. We have advised her that she should ensure that the Council is fully aware of any medical problems that she may have, as these are likely to influence whether the Council will be able to assist her.
Notes from the T.A. "Mrs. Maybank has lived abroad ... ".
What has this got to do with the case? Is PCHA calling her some sort of Johnny Foreigner? This comment looks like cheap tabloid xenophobia, and is irrelevant. (Also, see below for story).
"We have a number of long standing WHHA residents who urgently require rehousing"
They are not residents, Ms McGuire, they are tenants, and mostly 1977 Rent Act tenants at that. They will only require rehousing if you send them Notices to Quit. You are obliged BY LAW to keep their homes in proper order. Kindly do so.
" .. it would be unfair to them if we were to lose the opportunity to recover this flat".
No it wouldn't. Mrs. Maybank's flat was abandoned by Camden as unfit in the late '70s. At the moment it is not suitable for reletting for any purpose. The flat is scheduled for a major rehabilitation in a couple of years time. PCHA cannot recoupe the cost of making it immediately useable with the rent reclaimed in those two years. Do your sums, Ms. McGuire.
"Mrs. Maybank has approached Camden Council about rehousing".
Well, this, at least, is true. What is also true is that Camden have refused to rehouse her, and that PCHA knew this when they sent her their eviction papers.
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Housing Today: 12th July. "Shortlife fears at West Hampstead".
Click for the text of the full report. Comment There is uncertainty about the rule system, and the reason for a rather strange large capital "T" printed beside the name of every tenant on the list of WHHA shareholders. The belief is that there are classes of voters, and tenants fall in a class. For this reason, they are distinguished by this "T". The Chair, Richard Parkhill, was asked to run two votes - one as he saw the situation, and one as we did, i.e. with the class catagory.
He refused.
"The number of tenant shareholders will be reviewed ... ". Maybe it will, and maybe it won't - but either way, it will be too late, won't it, Ms PCHA spokeswoman.
"Shortlife tenants will be further consulted ... ". It is not possible for PCHA to further consult, until they consult for the first time. There has been no consultation of any type. Certainly, meetings were held to inform tenants of what has happened, and of what was to take place. There was no consultation.
PCHA have explained away the massive increase of shareholders, chosen from their own people, (which actually took place when they arrived in February 2001) by saying that the skills base of the shareholders needed to expanded. But the shareholders don't do anything from one year to the next. They aren't even allowed to discuss the accounts at their own AGM. Why should PCHA feel a need for "sufficient skills amongst the shareholders"?
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PCHA to evict 68 year old widow onto the streets. 6th July.
In a most extraordinary move, PCHA, as WHHA's management agents, have just served (6th July) formal eviction papers to the widow of Tom Maybank who they full well know will not qualify to be housed by the council.
What is so staggering about the foolishness of this decision is that everybody loses:
1. PCHA loses. The flat is due for refurbishment in around two to three years. It cannot be relet since it is in such bad condition that the cost would not be recouped. PCHA/WHHA have many flats in this state. They get abandoned or squatted. Before their decision, PCHA stood to receive in rent 125% of what Camden charge for fully rehabbed premises.
2. Janda Maybank, Tom's widow, loses. She thought she had the right to continue, wants to stay in the community, and abandoned her place sharing with her sister. She hoped to stay on in her late husband's home as an insecure tenant, and to put up with the poor conditions.
3. Camden Council loses. Flats lived in get looked after.
4. The taxpayer loses. When this flat gets its major refit, it is will certainly have deteriorated very substantially indeed. Empty flats always do.
Peter Rutherford, the T.A. chair, said: "I can't climb into these officials' brains anymore. It is a strange and hazardous place. Maybe they are just nuts. That would explain a lot of things."
We will keep you posted on this story. (Special note: October 11th 2003. The flat is still empty).
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S.G.M: Tenants defeated by strangers.
The Shareholders Special General Meeting voted overwhelmingly to change our rules and enter the Genesis Group.
In a crowded room filled with complete outsiders, people who have nothing to do with us or West Hampstead made the decision which may possibly have a disastrous effect on the lives of shortlifers.
The "Top table" featured PCHA's Chief Executive, Anu Vedi, who was bounded on his left by Tom McGregor, Director of Contracts and Regeneration, and Elaine Allen, who may or may not be the Chief Executive of WHHA. On his right were Richard Parkhill, Chair of WHHA's Management Board, and Chair of the meeting, and Sandra Raine, company Secretary of Genesis, PCHA and WHHA. She was taking the minutes of the meeting for the record.
Peter Rutherford commented: "Out of all those faces, there were 5 people who have something to do with WHHA. The rest might just as well have been picked out of a cinema audience in Deptford, and bussed in for the occasion. But they, along with the postal voters, have made the decision."
Tenants were never just committed to a "No" vote. In our handout, we asked for a "No" vote at the moment. Let PCHA get WHHA on an even keel, put in some improvements, particularly in their policy towards people, and then, we say, lets have another vote.
A shareholder asked what would happen if WHHA became insolvent. Mr. Parkhill spoke of disposal of assets etc but failed to say what Mr. McGregor had told tenants at a previous meeting, namely that the Housing Corporation would step in for the second time, and repeat the process. Mr. Julian Ashby, a housing consultant with H.A.C.A.S. retained to advise WHHA's board, was asked about this, and said that the position was not very clear. It hasn't happened before. Leases would fall down, he said