Residents of the Tulse Hill council estate are demanding action over unsafe housing and structural deficiencies

Residents of a council estate in Lambeth, calling themselves Tulse Hill Estate Unites (THEU), recently staged a protest outside Lambeth Town Hall, demanding immediate action on serious structural problems causing widespread damp and mold in their homes .

THEU members love where they live, but there are problems. The Tulse Hill estate, with 898 properties built almost a century ago, has significant problems.

After listening to more than 200 neighbors, more than half reported persistent dampness and mold.

Residents say that too often complaints about damp and mold are dismissed, blaming residents for “lifestyle issues” such as not opening windows or drying clothes indoors.

THEU members disagree, pointing out that the buildings’ structural deficiencies are at the root
the cause, which the board continually ignores.

Residents believe the council is wasting money on temporary fixes that fail to address these basic issues.

Driven to action by their landlord’s inaction, THEU are calling on the council to commission an independent environmental inspection of the blocks on the property and create an action plan based on its findings, with residents involved in the process.

They also require a single point of contact senior enough to be accountable to residents for implementing the plan.

Residents are tired of being blamed for causing the damp themselves and believe an inspection will reveal the truth, allowing them to tackle the underlying problems affecting their homes once and for all.

First, They Ignore You

Early last year, a THEU member had part of his ceiling collapse.

After six months of fighting to secure a repair, the ceiling completely collapsed. Not until September 2023, after media attentionthat this resident’s repair has been completed.

This experience is shared to varying degrees by hundreds of residents throughout the property.

What do they know that the residents don’t?

To identify structural problems, THEU commissioned the publication of the latest study into the state of Lambeth’s housing stock, carried out by Savills, as part of a contract worth more than £4m.

Following last year’s media coverage, Lambeth’s Head of Neighborhood Housing, Tunde Akinyooye, attended a meeting on the estate to reassure residents about the work Lambeth is doing to improve the area.

Tunde stated both verbally and in writing that the housing stock survey by Savills “did not identify any significant component failures that require attention in the next 5-10 years”.

However, data from a Freedom of Information request by the group revealed that Tulse Hill Estate requires £7,485,900 of investment over the next 10 years.

This includes £2,389,500 for the maintenance of external buildings such as gutters, downspouts and roofs – all contributing factors to the spread of damp and in direct contradiction to what they were told.

Action

On April 24, the THEU group submitted a petition to the council, signed by 168 neighbors who share the same concerns.

Despite the council acknowledging receipt of the petition and confirming a response by May 17, the group has yet to receive any communication.

They also made efforts to gain support from their local elected representatives, including Ben Kind, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, and Maria Kay, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness.

Despite their efforts, residents were met with silence and indifference from Lambeth Council.

In response to this treatment, residents protested at the latest cabinet meeting at Lambeth Town Hall.

For many, this was their first protest, driven by frustration with what they perceive as systemic failures.

A Lambeth problem

Lambeth’s negligence in maintaining council homes is highlighted by the Housing Ombudsman’s inspection, revealing consistent failure to deal with complaints and poor administration.

Secretary of State for Growth, Housing and Communities Michael Gove has also singled out Lambeth Council for its record in housing repairs on several occasions 1 2 3.

Lambeth also spent £1.8m between 2019 and 2023 legal fees for confidentiality agreements with tenants to prevent them from making their experiences public.

The the latest annual report of the Local Government and Social Care Advocate found that between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023 Lambeth Council:

• it had received the highest number of complaints for any London council
• the fifth highest number of complaints of any local authority nationally
• second highest number of housing complaints

Resident Power Building

Residents on the Tulse Hill Estate, supported by High Trees Community Development Trust, are organizing within THEU to demand action from Lambeth Council.

Operating under the slogan “All for one, one for all”, they are calling for wider responsibility and collective action on the widespread problems of damp and mould.

High Trees Community Development Trust said:

“The links between poor quality housing and poor health are clear.

Our work aims to ensure that local residents are supported to take collective action when they are not being heard – working together to advocate for the changes they need to see to improve liveability for the whole community.”

summary

Not only is Lambeth Council nearly £1 billion in debt, but they are also wasting huge amounts of taxpayers’ money by commissioning Savills for unpublished reports and completing temporary, ineffective works, leaving residents to live in appalling conditions.

The demands of the residents of Tulse Hill Estate are simple: order an independent environmental inspection immediately, develop a plan with the residents based on its findings, and be accountable to the residents for implementing the plan.

(Article and photos from Tulse Hill Estate Unites)