Residents to meet to discuss housing charter

Residents Charter Pic - Tower Hamlets federation of tenants and residents association

Residents of Tower Hamlets are due to hold a meeting this weekend to discuss the final details of a basic human rights charter for social housing tenants in the borough.Tower Hamlets Federation of Tenants and Residents Association (the Fed) are hoping the council and local social housing landlords will adopt the charter, which asks for 5 basic principals to be upheld, including a more transparent consultation process and more accountability from landlords.

The Fed was set up after many residents felt unhappy with the performance of their landlords following the sale of  Tower Hamlets social houses to housing associations and the arms length management organisation (ALMO), Tower Hamlets Homes, soon after the millennium.

Mark Taylor, administrator for the Fed said: “Some landlords are good and transparent however many residents feel that they receive a token consultation process and landlords then go off and do what they like. We are not asking for anything outlandish, it is only 5 very basic principals.”

A spokesperson from Tower Hamlets Homes said: “We broadly support the charter, we like to think that we already reflect the principals in it and work very closely with the Fed. If this is a hook into further dialogue with residents then we are happy to see the final draft.”

23 of the 52 councillors for the borough have signed up to support the charter and Tower Hamlets Mayor, Lutfur Rahmann wrote on his blog in January saying: “We were delighted to be able to express our support for the draft charter.”

The meeting starts at 10.30am and will be held at East London Tabernacle Baptist Church on Burdett Road, E3.

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