The Regulator of Social Housing has found that Haringey has breached the Home Standard, causing “serious detriment” to tenants.
The RSH found the council had failed to complete several remedial fire safety actions, including 4,000 which were high risk, and did not have up to date electrical safety reports for thousands of homes.
In a statement, Kate Dodsworth, director of consumer regulation at the RSH, said that “Haringey Council put thousands of tenants at potential risk by failing to meet health and safety requirements for fire and electrical safety.”
30% of Haringey’s council houses do not meet the government’s Decent Homes Standard, and more than a hundred Category One hazards were identified.
Cllr Dawn Barnes (LD-Fortis Green), Opposition Spokesperson for Housing, said:
“Fire and building safety is a matter of life and death, and this judgement from the regulator is completely damning. These failings must be corrected immediately, or the consequences to tenants could be horrendous.
“Haringey also faces real questions about how this was able to happen, and how long they knew about these issues before action was taken. Tenants deserve answers and complete transparency over the issues Haringey is aware of in their properties and when they will be brought up to acceptable standards.”
Notes:
Labour-run Haringey Council has been slammed by the UK’s housing watchdog (ombudsman) for a “culture of apathy and acceptance of poor practice” in its dealings with council tenants and leaseholders.
