More uselessness from DBC

[quilp]

He definitely bears some responsibility. 

[TheTeapot]

7 minutes ago, forestboy said:

But isn’t the squalor down to the tenant?

No idea, don't know them, never been to their flat. 

[Banker]

16 minutes ago, forestboy said:

But isn’t the squalor down to the tenant?

If the ventilation & heating is inadequate then that will be main cause, obviously if windows aren’t open or heating not on then it will worsen conditions 

[The Bastard]

22 minutes ago, Banker said:

If the ventilation & heating is inadequate then that will be main cause, obviously if windows aren’t open or heating not on then it will worsen conditions 

Again, presumably you've not been to the property, don't know if there is cracked render or a water leak, or indeed anything about the circumstances that the poor gent is in. Best not to speculate. 

[Moghrey Mie]

2 hours ago, Banker said:

If the ventilation & heating is inadequate then that will be main cause, obviously if windows aren’t open or heating not on then it will worsen conditions 

http://www.douglas.gov.im/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=631&Itemid=

 

[2112]

2 hours ago, The Bastard said:

Again, presumably you've not been to the property, don't know if there is cracked render or a water leak, or indeed anything about the circumstances that the poor gent is in. Best not to speculate. 

Agree, but it’s typical of some on here to blame the tenant for the cause of the issue. 
 

The tenant is an elderly person and obviously needs some support, not a lecture. The support and help could have been given without the need to get PMTV involved. It’s hardly rocket science or difficult to resolve. Acknowledge there is a problem, then make a plan to resolve that problem, even if it means finding the tenant alternative accommodation, either temporary or permanent. 

[2112]

3 hours ago, forestboy said:

But isn’t the squalor down to the tenant?

Sadly some people have chaotic lifestyles, or are hoarders. Perhaps he needs help? Shouldn’t Douglas Corporations Housing Department be proactive rather than reactive? 

[quilp]

3 hours ago, The Bastard said:

Again, presumably you've not been to the property, don't know if there is cracked render or a water leak, or indeed anything about the circumstances that the poor gent is in. Best not to speculate. 

At the start of Moulton's reveal-all the tenant says the roof was letting water in. Didn’t say for how long, or whether the Corpy were quick to act once they knew of the problem. It could've been letting the rain in for weeks, who knows? Didn’t see a fan or cooker hood in the kitchen, from the video, nor was the bathroom featured. Definitely a lack of practical ventilation going on there.

Tenant agreed with Moulton about the hoarding. 

[forestboy]

2 minutes ago, 2112 said:

Sadly some people have chaotic lifestyles, or are hoarders. Perhaps he needs help? Shouldn’t Douglas Corporations Housing Department be proactive rather than reactive? 

Also does he have any close family who could assist?

[Gladys]

You have to acknowledge that some people in social housing are likely to have vulnerabilities - age, dependencies, mental or physical health issues, poverty, often exacerbated by living alone, so no or little family support.  It is a bit of a no-brainer. 

So when a tenant raises their issues with the housing department, which this man says he has done, why was no action taken earlier?  Why did it take an expose by Paul Moulton and why has this only now spurred a Councillor to deal with it?  (No criticism of Devon Watson as Councillors can only look into stuff brought to their attention.)

But people have been saying for a very long time that social housing needs to have the same regulation proposed for private landlords.  This seems to confirm that that is absolutely necessary.  

Is social housing inspected, not for failings of the tenant, but failings of the landlord?

I think he thought he would be moved into the new development further up Peel Road.  Looks like his number wasn't lucky  in the draw. 

 

 

[Catrisk]

27 minutes ago, 2112 said:

Agree, but it’s typical of some on here to blame the tenant for the cause of the issue. 

Yes he’s an old boy with a dodgy hip. He can’t be expected to be scrubbing his ceilings with bleach to get rid of it and maybe he can’t afford to have the heating on all the time. I’m still wondering why he wasn’t moved up to the new flats in Peel Road like all the others from around Lord St. Maybe they didn’t want a hoarder in there making the place look scruffy? 

[Banker]

3 minutes ago, Catrisk said:

Yes he’s an old boy with a dodgy hip. He can’t be expected to be scrubbing his ceilings with bleach to get rid of it and maybe he can’t afford to have the heating on all the time. I’m still wondering why he wasn’t moved up to the new flats in Peel Road like all the others from around Lord St. Maybe they didn’t want a hoarder in there making the place look scruffy? 

I thought the lord street flats including quines corner had all been emptied, how many tenants remain?

[Catrisk]

2 minutes ago, Banker said:

I thought the lord street flats including quines corner had all been emptied, how many tenants remain?

I don’t know but maybe they didn’t want him making their new flats look a bit scruffy so he’s been left behind. Most of the others have moved. 

[quilp]

You can see plenty of lights on in that block in the evenings. Went past recently and there must've been half a dozen wheelie-bins overflowing in the Lord Street entrance. 

[english zloty]

36 minutes ago, Gladys said:

You have to acknowledge that some people in social housing are likely to have vulnerabilities - age, dependencies, mental or physical health issues, poverty, often exacerbated by living alone, so no or little family support.  It is a bit of a no-brainer. 

So when a tenant raises their issues with the housing department, which this man says he has done, why was no action taken earlier?  Why did it take an expose by Paul Moulton and why has this only now spurred a Councillor to deal with it?  (No criticism of Devon Watson as Councillors can only look into stuff brought to their attention.)

But people have been saying for a very long time that social housing needs to have the same regulation proposed for private landlords.  This seems to confirm that that is absolutely necessary.  

Is social housing inspected, not for failings of the tenant, but failings of the landlord?

I think he thought he would be moved into the new development further up Peel Road.  Looks like his number wasn't lucky  in the draw. 

 

 

Tbf, you don't know what officers might already be doing, or what the backstory is. There are over 2000 properties in DBC. Politicians are invariably reactive. That's what they do best. Devon proclaiming a survey is typically politician as a response. Even if there were resources to do it. How do you decide the priority for 2000 homes because it isn't just the age.

In the UK the response is to have a clear policy of responsiveness (this to become law). In which it is no longer acceptable to blame 'life-style' but equally there is a more responsive social service, because that is a key part of the local community problem. In the UK landlords are now being fined (where they are self-funding) for not having these policies. That is what Devon should be doing, not randomly shouting unrealistic nonsense.

The near final point around landlord registration. That's quite simple, private landlords don't generally put up with this, public landlords have no choice. A private landlord merely ups his rental to cover costs (subject to market conditions), a public landlord has a fixed rental (perhaps 40% of market) and fixed budgets across 2,300 property. It is felt that the largest private landlords have around 150 properties of which a third are less than ten years old. So completely different scales, funding, and client base. Quines Corner is near end of life I I think but was never expected to empty into the new building. In any case the rent uplift would present a separate challenge.