Upgrading of homes in Putson by Hereford Housing

[Wheezerweiner]

I live in one of the many Cornish Style Flats that are dotted around Putson in Hereford.  I have been here for 12 years and like many others see and live with the ups and downs of these type of properties.  Just two years ago Hereford Housing spent I imagine an enormous amount of money painting the exterior of these properties.  Those of us living on the ground floors were given a choice of a selection of colours available, and over a period of several months Long Meadow, Winston Road, Hoarwithy Road, the Homestead, Ridgeway Avenue and Holme Lacy Road, all received a make over.  And very nice too they all looked.

 

Just last week Hereford Housing recommenced work on the same properties starting in the Homestead re-roofing and installing new windows, fair enough the windows needed doing (I know mine do) and some people have been having problems with leaky roofs and we had heard that the properties were due to be re-roofed in 2014.  What I don't understand is why now when only two years ago all the properties were painted, are they now being rendered and insulated.  Yes it will hopefully improve the insulation values of these properties and improve energy saving values.  Which is a good thing for the tenants, but why did Herefordshire Housing waste so much money repainting them what is a relatively short time ago.  

 

I have tried to phone Herefordshire Housing about it, but no one was availabe to answer my questions.

 

I was further annoyed to today to receive a phone call from a window company today asking me if I was available to have my windows changed.  Whilst as I mentioned earlier in my post that my windows need doing I have received no official communications from Hereford Housing about what works are to be carried out on my home or who will be undertaking them.  I have the good sense to ring Hereford Housing to check whether this window company were legit.  But my concern is that with the fact that there are many people out there willing to take the vulnerable and abuse them, by using Hereford Housing works program to enter people's homes acting as bogus contractors.  I have rang Hereford Housing about this and expressed my concerns about their lack of communications with their tenants about the works programme.  They did sort of thank me for raising this point, and suggested that perhaps they should do a leaflet drop to tell their tenants about the works programme in this area.  For a housing association who claims to care about its tenants, I feel they are doing a very shoddy job.  

[Glenda Powell]

my ground floor cornish flat had this work done in 2012, exactly 2 years after picking a nice pale blue colour for the walls. When I asked the same question as to why they were doing the rendering I was told that they have to be brought up to a decent living standard, and there were many complaints they were cold, which living on ground floor I agree.The work on my home has improved it a lot, the property is a lot warmer and I was able to turn the thermostat down from 20 to 15. I know its a mess while its being done but well worth it after the work is finished. The new windows also makes the properties warmer.

[Roger]

I'd love to live in a parallel World where everything was fixed for free! On second thoughts ... ;-) 

[Glenda Powell]

Roger, it wasn't for free our rents went up considerably

[Wheezerweiner]

So then Glenda you had your flat upgraded and you have benefited which is great.  But you state that they did it in order to meet new decent home standards.  So that means they knew about the decent home living standard and yet wasted money two years ago painting mine and many others homes.

 

Whilst I am grateful that my home is to be improved, still think they wasted money painting my home 2 years ago.  The mess and inconvenience is not an issue, it is the lack of communication between tenant and housing association.  Sadly this is a problem I have battled with Herefordshire Housing many a time, and know of others who have suffered too.

 

Have a fancy front office, and a new look logo,and new unifroms/vehicles but ask Herefordshire Housing to do something as simple as talk to their tenants, and they are next to useless.

 

Oh and Roger our rents go up again next week, so nothing is for free!

[Guest smartieno1]

There is a new organisation in town that is tackling all of the Housing Associations and shining a light on the mis-management and gerrymandering that takes place (see link)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/694764257247854/698643763526570/?notif_t=group_comment

I would urge you to join and then we can work together to get things changed.....and I ask you all to remember that these houses have been paid for 20 x over and should already be of a consistently high standard that the work needed to bring them up to a decent home standard was not needed..

Social Housing should not equal second-class housing....

 

[Wheezerweiner]

Thank you have sent a request to join!

[Glenda Powell]

wheezerweiner. I also told HHL at the time what a waste of our money, asking why if you knew you were going to render all cornish properties,the answer given was that they had gone after government funding a year before but they had not heared from the Government so decided to paint the outsides, then 12 months later the funding came through and that is why the work started on new roofs, windows and rendering.

I have a lot of people from Hinton, Redhill and Putson come to me for help with their properties I listen to what they say and then contact their own councillors in the area to deal with their complaints if they don't I deal with it myself.

[Wheezerweiner]

Thank you for your reply Glenda, appreciate it.  A lot of people in my area are asking the same question, feel it would be good if Hereford Housing just told their tenants the same thing, then people wouldn't get so frustrated.  Feel that Hereford Housing really need to work on their communication skills.

 

And still feel that they should have informed me formally about my forth coming window replacements.  Just would hate to see bogus contractors taking advantage of those who unlike me trust anyone who rings/ or calls in person.  It does happen sadly   

[Glenda Powell]

Weezerweiner, HHL should have sent you a letter telling you what work will be done on your properties, and when the work will commence. could you tell me how many residents have not received the letter and I will look into it for you. Please contact me anytime and I will look into anything for you regarding HHL or the council.If you click on my name on the links of this website you will see my name, address and phone number on my link page. I have told HHL many times they need to have better comunications with their tenants. All your ward councillors are on this website. Cllrs Chappell, Preece and Rone for the Putson and Hinton ward, but although I am one of the councillors for the Belmont ward we do work together.

[Wheezerweiner]

Thank you Glenda really appreciate your help, to my knowledge and what Hereford Housing hasn't told anyone offically in Winston Road about the works, or the fact that tenants have to an energy efficiency survey done before any rendering works can be undertaken.  As I say just feel that Hereford Housing could have done more before all of this.