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Residents stage demonstration due to ‘lack of voice’ in merger discussions
Dozens of residents staged a protest at the office of an east London landlord this week in frustration at feeling left out of planned merger discussions.
Up to 70 people turned up at the office of Tower Hamlets Community Housing (THCH) throughout the day on Wednesday to join the demonstration, including members of the Justice for THCH Residents group.
THCH, which manages around 3,200 homes, announced in June that it was exploring a tie-up with 10,000-home Poplar Harca. A decision by the groups’ boards is due by the autumn.
Three months ago, THCH was downgraded for its governance and financial viability, to non-compliant grades of G3/V3.
The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) found THCH was “unable to meet the costs of its day-to-day operating activities and repair liabilities” and was looking at a covenant waiver from its funder.
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THCH had failed to identify the “full accounting implications of the Building Safety Act”, while it faced a “substantial programme of fire remediation work”, the regulator said.
Peter Mengerink was at the demonstration and helps out with the Justice for THCH Residents group. It was set up in opposition to what it described as “astronomical” rises in service charge bills in 2021-22.
He said the protest attracted around 70 people throughout the day, and that residents did not feel like they were being consulted properly about the planned merger, and had so far been left out of those discussions.
Under the RSH’s guidance for involving and empowering residents, landlords should ensure they feel included in “the formulation of housing-related policies and strategic priorities” and the “making of decisions about how housing-related services are delivered”.
Mr Mengerink said: “Residents have not had a voice at all in the discussions so far. It feels like we’re being asked to agree on something based on little information. Will our rents and service charges go up? Will any homes be sold?
“Answering these questions is not the same as going online and filling out a form with your opinion.”
He has also written to the local authority and the RSH about his concerns regarding the merger.
In addition, Mr Mengerink said residents had concerns about issues such as maintenance and the management of properties under any new merged organisation, at a time when they believed there were outstanding disrepair issues, particularly at Charles Dickens House.
Marc Francis, the Labour councillor for the Bow East ward in Tower Hamlets, has submitted a motion of debate next week aimed at ensuring “residents’ views are properly considered in any decision on [THCH’s] future”.
Mr Francis told Inside Housing: “We are really concerned to note the demise of THCH as for many years it was the best housing association in Tower Hamlets and transformed several of our former council estates most in need of investment.
"It might well be that a merger with Poplar HARCA is the best solution in these circumstances, but its residents need cast-iron guarantees about what that would involve and at the end of the day the regulator must take note of what they think about it."
In a joint statement, Poplar Harca and THCH maintained that “residents are being consulted about the potential merger, as their views are, and always will be, central to the decisions made by both organisations”.
They added: “We’ve followed the regulatory standard and have recently extended the consultation to 12 weeks to encourage resident engagement. Residents have the option to tell us what they think online, by post and in person.
“Feedback received so far has been balanced and our responses are being shared on THCH and Poplar Harca websites. Residents’ views will inform both boards’ decisions on whether to proceed.
“Should the merger go ahead, the maintenance and management of THCH’s homes and buildings will become the responsibility of the merged organisation.”
