Pressure grows on Cabinet Member as Labour-run council slammed for failing council tenants by housing watchdog
Last year, Green Party councillors called for an urgent review into Norwich City Council’s management of council homes across the city, after a damning report from the national Housing Ombudsman found the council to be among the worst performing landlords in the country for 2022-23. (1)
With the publication of the report for 2023-24 showing that the council’s performance has got even worse, Green councillors are now raising serious questions about the council’s ability to maintain its properties and the competence of the Cabinet Member for Housing, Beth Jones.
In a report published this month, the Housing Ombudsman showed that findings of inefficient or dishonest administration or mismanagement*, have risen five fold from 5 to 26, compensation payouts have risen from £2,100 to £11,125, and improvement orders from the Ombudsman against the Labour-run council snowballing from 8 to 55. (2)
This comes after Norwich City Council’s own report into its performance in handling housing complaints showed that just one in five residents said they were satisfied with the Labour-run council’s performance. (3)
The most recent investigation into Norwich City Council by the Housing Ombudsman showed the council had, for two years, repeatedly ignored concerns about vulnerable children in a mouldy property, failing to even acknowledge the residents’ concerns. (4)
Deputy Leader of the Green Group and Shadow Cabinet Member for Housing, Alex Catt said: “The council are putting lives at risk. Having raised these concerns last year, and on many occasions since then, it is incredibly disappointing that not only has the Labour-run council’s ability to resolve issues for its tenants has got worse, but its failings have grown exponentially. It is very clear that the Labour-run council has lost its grip on the state of its 17,000 council properties.
“Green councillors across the city regularly take on cases from mistreated council tenants and fight to get them the repairs they need, which can range from basic issues to damp and mould covering entire properties, properties infested with rats, homes lacking a properly functioning front door or residents with severe medical issues feeling trapped in inappropriate properties while the council refuse to rehome them.
“The issues faced by many tenants, and their experience in requesting help from Norwich City Council very often reduces people to tears and I have been in contact with multiple residents who have told me that the council’s negligence has pushed them to having suicidal thoughts.”
“In the short term, Green councillors are seeking an urgent meeting with the cabinet member about the treatment of tenants and we are calling for this matter to be referred to the cross-party scrutiny committee at the council. However, it is clear that the Labour-run council have lost control of this issue. With over 14,000 properties, it is high-time that the council establishes a housing scrutiny committee with tenant representatives so that a light can be shone on these issues all-year round and to ensure that tenants’ voices are at the heart of decision making.”
References:
- Norwich City Council placed on list of worst landlords in the country by Housing Watchdog. – Norwich
- https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/app/uploads/2024/10/Landlord-Report-Norwich-City-Council.pdf
- Norwich city council Housing complaints performance and service improvement report 2023-24 – Search
- Norwich City Council (202316506) – Housing Ombudsman