Letters to the Editor - Tenants fight for rights

Published: 8 April, 2010

• TENANTS from a number different housing associations based in Camden, including PCHA/ Genesis, CHA/ One Housing Group, Circle 33 and Peabody Trust, recently came together to discuss the common problems they all face and look at how they can best represent their interests to these large landlords. 
The five main problems that were identified were:
• poor communication and disrespect for tenants;
• difficulty in getting repairs done and to the required standard;
• high turnover of staff and increasing use of agency workers;
• dealing with complaints; and
• no accountability to their tenants.
This was the first meeting of its kind in the borough, and it was generally agreed that it is very difficult to deal with such large and remote organisations as isolated individuals – and that there was a need for tenants to come together in some kind of group or network collectively to represent their views.
Other suggestions made were to set up a website and to do a petition that could be signed by every housing association tenant. 
We will also be working with council officers, councillors, community groups and the housing association themselves to see how they can “go back to their roots” and start being accountable to the very people they are here to serve, the tenants. 
So if you are an individual tenant, tenants’/ residents’ association or community group operating in Camden and you would like to know more or get involved with this initiative, call 020 7383 0151 or email: admin@cfpt.org.uk
ROBERT TAYLOR
Organiser
Camden Federation of Private Tenants