Housing Associations

Overview

The complainant (Mrs C) was concerned that she was no longer receiving regular visits from a local representative and that Trust Housing Association (the Association) had introduced a protocol to regulate her contact with them.

Specific complaints and conclusions

The complaints which have been investigated are that the Association:

• (a)      had unfairly introduced a protocol to regulate Mrs C's contact with them and, as a result, she no longer receives visits from a local representative and has difficulty booking guest rooms (not upheld); and
• (b)      had not handled Mrs C's complaints about this appropriately (upheld).

Redress and recommendations

The Ombudsman recommends that the Association provide Mrs C with a copy of their new complaints procedure and any changes to the Persistent and Vexatious Complaints policy made as a result of their current review.

The Association have accepted the recommendations and will act on them accordingly.

Overview

The complainant (Mr C) said that he had been appointed to a Southside Housing Association (the Housing Association) Sub-Committee and then excluded from meetings.  He was also concerned that his complaint had not been heard at the final stage of the Housing Association's procedure.

Specific complaints and conclusions

The complaints which have been investigated are that:

• (a)       Mr C was appointed to a Housing Association Sub-Committee and then excluded from meetings (not upheld); and
• (b)       the Housing Association did not consider his complaint at their appeal stage (not upheld).

Redress and recommendation

The Ombudsman recommends that the Housing Association clarify in information given to complainants the time limits for appeal and that they will not consider an appeal outwith the agreed timescales unless the complainant can provide good reasons for any delay.

The Housing Association have accepted the recommendation and will act on it accordingly.

Overview

The complaint concerns the withdrawal of an offer of housing, which the complainant (Ms C) alleged was both unfair and inflexible and not in compliance with the West Highland Housing Association Ltd (the Association)'s allocations policy.

Specific complaints and conclusions

The complaints which have been investigated are that:

• (a) the offer was unfairly rescinded for reasons that did not comply with the Association's allocations policy (upheld); and
• (b) the Association discriminated against Ms C and treated her inflexibly (upheld).

Redress and recommendation

The Ombudsman is satisfied that the Association's offer of housing provided a suitable remedy to the complaint.  Therefore, she has no recommendations to make.

Overview

The complainant (Mrs C) raised a number of concerns about her housing circumstances, specifically in relation to the condition her current maisonette was in when allocated to her in 2004, to the attitude of a Housing Officer who visited her home and at the failure of the Glasgow Housing Association (the Association) to rehouse her husband and herself.

Specific complaints and conclusions

The complaints which have been investigated are that:

• (a) the Association offered Mr and Mrs C their present home in May 2004 with poor flooring (not upheld);
• (b) the Association did not properly investigate Mrs C's complaints about the attitude of a Housing Officer who visited her home on 29 July 2005 (not upheld); and
• (c) the only offers of permanent rehousing made by the Association have been unsuitable (not upheld).

Redress and recommendation

The Ombudsman has no specific recommendation to make.

Overview

The complainant (Mr C) was concerned that he had not been given help to redecorate his Housing Association owned flat, despite his disability and their policy that disabled tenants should be offered help.

Specific complaint and conclusion

The complaint from Mr C which I have investigated is that Mr C was not given help with redecoration costs to which he was entitled as a result of his disability (partially upheld).

Redress and recommendations

The Ombudsman recommends that the Housing Association:

• (i) apologise to Mr C for failing to inform him that he may have been able to ask for the Housing Association to carry out the decoration works required in the bathroom, for which he had been given a decoration allowance; and
• (ii) ensure tenants in receipt of a decoration allowance are aware that there may be additional help available with undertaking the decoration itself.

The Housing Association have accepted the recommendations and will act on them accordingly.

Overview

The complainant (Mr C) has raised a variety of complaints with this office regarding his tenancy and the handling of his complaint by Paragon Housing Association (the Association).  The three main points of Mr C's complaint have been investigated.

Specific complaints and conclusions

The complaints which have been investigated are:

• (a) failure of the Association to identify that a load-bearing wall was missing (not upheld);
• (b) the manner in which the load-bearing wall was rebuilt (not upheld); and
• (c) handling and responding to complaint (not upheld).

Redress and recommendation

The Ombudsman has no recommendations.

Overview

This complaint concerns Muirhouse Housing Association's (the Association) response to the complainant (Ms C)'S request for action to be taken to prevent the use of a boundary wall by local children.

Specific complaints and conclusions

The complaints which have been investigated are that:

• (a) the Association failed to prevent people climbing over the boundary wall which adjoins Ms C's garden to access the adjacent site (not upheld); and
• (b) the Association failed to ensure Ms C's garden was secure (not upheld).

Redress and Recommendation

The Ombudsman has no recommendations to make.

The complainant raised concerns that she repeatedly had to report problems with her property to Hillcrest Housing Association (the Association) before they were dealt with. She complained that she experienced long delays before necessary repairs were carried out.

Overview

The complainant (Miss C)raised two specific concerns regarding the conduct and recording of business at the 2004 and 2005 annual general meetings of Partick Housing Association Ltd (the Association).

Specific complaints and conclusions

The complaints which have been investigated are that:

• (a)  the minute of the Association's 2004 annual general meeting was inaccurate (upheld); and
• (b)  the Chair of the Association had failed to give an assurance that the minute of the 2005 annual general meeting would record her representations (not upheld).

Redress and recommendations

The Ombudsman recommends that the Association takes steps to publicise to their shareholders the principles of their minute-taking at annual general meetings.  The Association informed the Ombudsman that they were willing to accept the recommendation.

Overview

The complainant raised concerns about the standard of maintenance service provided for the communal landscaped area around her home.

Specific complaint and conclusion

The complaint which has been investigated is that the Association failed to provide an acceptable maintenance service for the communal landscaped area around Ms C's home (upheld).

Redress and recommendation

The Ombudsman recommends that the Housing Association ensure that the communal garden area is maintained in accordance with the terms of the ground maintenance specification.