Council slammed for ‘neglect’ and ‘disregard’ on social housing

Labour-controlled Lambeth is in trouble yet again over housing standards in the borough, with the council criticised in an independent report that, according to opposition councillors, “shows a pattern of neglect, incompetence and a complete disregard for the wellbeing of… residents”.

It was in 2023 that Lambeth became the first local authority to be subjected to close scrutiny by the Housing Ombudsman over what the watchdog described as “maladministration” and mistreatment of council tenants.

Now, a new report from the Housing Ombudsman has named Lambeth among the worst offenders over its failures over a number of years to carry out urgent housing repairs.

What the Ombudsman calls its “learning from severe maladministration” report focused on complaints about windows, a year on from the Ombudsman writing to all council and housing association chief execs about his concerns.

The report “details dozens of cases where social landlords across England left tenants living in unsafe and degrading conditions”, the Ombudsman said.

In one case highlighted by the report, a mother was unable to close windows for three years despite worries about the risks to her children. Another case involved children unable to do schoolwork because of excess cold, as well as experiencing a burglary, with repairs unresolved for two years.

The Housing Ombudsman, Richard Blakeway, mentions several housing associations in the report, including Clarion, L&Q and Notting Hill Genesis.

Lambeth, Lewisham and five other London boroughs are featured in the report, though not Croydon or Sutton.

Croydon MP Steve Reed, the Environment Secretary in Keir Starmer’s government, pictured right, now represents a constituency that includes Streatham, in Lambeth. Before becoming an MP, Reed was the leader of Lambeth Council.

The latest Housing Ombudsman’s report highlights one case in Lambeth where a child’s bedroom window boarded up for more than three years. The council acknowledged the windows were rotten and posed a risk of a fall, yet failed to act. The window, the report says, left the child’s bedroom with “no light in, but a draught was coming in”.

The Ombudsman said the council gave “conflicting information” about what works would be done and “failed to effectively communicate with the resident to keep them informed”.

In another case, Lambeth took no action for three years on windows it had itself deemed unfit, insisting they would be tackled in major works to be undertaken in the future. Council contractors sized up the windows twice, but never carried out the replacement work. The draughts made the home uninhabitable, forcing the tenant to buy extra electric heaters..

In another Lambeth case, the council failed to repair rotting windows for three years despite repeated reports. Another tenant was unable to open most windows in her home for two-and-a-half years, preventing ventilation and worsening damp and mould.

A further case saw a ground-floor resident unable to close her windows for two years, with Lambeth closing the case without explanation.

Since Lambeth has been under scrutiny for “severe maladministration” for two years, the council claims it has “invested hundreds of millions of pounds” into improving its housing stock.

But Donna Harris, the leader of the LibDem opposition at Lambeth Council, told BrixtonBuzz.com: “This report is damning. It shows a pattern of neglect, incompetence and a complete disregard for the wellbeing of Lambeth residents.

“Lambeth Labour cannot hide from this – they have presided over years of housing mismanagement, leaving some of our most vulnerable residents in dangerous and degrading conditions.

“When I asked about Lambeth’s approach to Awaab’s Law – important new protections on damp and mould coming into effect this autumn – I was told that residents should just continue to report problems in the normal way.

“How does this square with the Ombudsman’s verdict that Lambeth’s approach to damp and mould constitutes persistent and systemic severe maladministration?”

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