Category: Islington

Tenants nowhere to turn

Councillor says “consulation” a  sham

Please read the attached  Tribune article…and if you agree…sign the petition at:- www.disbandHFI.org.uk  If you have already signed…Sorry!

IslingtonGazette reports on TenantsPetition to take back housing from  HFI reporting that the housing organisation is overstaffed, inefficient and unaccountable. More

Disband HFI petition – Bring council services inhouse – Make them more cost effective.

Dr Brian Potter (ILA chair) has signed the below petition From: thomas.cooper@tchi.org.uk and suggests that every one else does.

Dear fellow Islington residents,

As you are most likely aware, several resident representatives have been calling for a ballot on the continuation (or, rather not) of HFI, but despite pre-election pledges to consult with ALL residents and to “look at bringing housing back in-house” these calls have been ignored. Instead, Islington Council is spending £30,000 on a supposed review of the services currently managed by HFI.   I know that I am not the only one who has good reason to believe that this is an expensive gesture to give the impression of listening to residents’ views, whilst having no intention or indeed willingness to disband HFI and be accountable for our housing services. Whilst some have expressed the view that services would not be any better under the Council, we can be quite sure that they would be more cost effective and Councillors whether effective or not are at least accessible via their surgeries and, via the ballot box, accountable.

Please sign the petition linked below and forward the link to other Islington residents whom you think might be interested and supportive. If you have any comments or observations that could be fed into the debate, please do let me know. This may not get us what we want, but will at least make our views known.

Sign petition

http://petitions.islington.gov.uk/disbandhfi/

Deadline to sign up by: 28 August 2011

Yours in resident unity,

Thomas Cooper, Islington Council Tenant   www.disbandHFI.org.uk

Feel free to email this on to anyone else that might be interested.

Update@5.7.11

TC letter to tribune expanding case against HFI can be read here.

Dear Islington Leaseholders

Make your voices heard; demand that all residents of Islington’s PFI contracts (PFI1 and PFI2) are included in the selection of the “Independent Tenant Adviser”. Register your complaint by email to both the Islington Tribune and Gazette and demand that your Councilors’ and MP’s, intercede with the council straight away to ensure your voice is not ignored.

Click here for Dr Potters letter to the papers: –

Directors required

Enthusiastic Leaseholder(s) required to be volunteer ILA Directors, helping to improve the situation of Islington leaseholders – duties would include attending monthly Directors meetings, occasionally attending monthly ILA Forum meetings, gathering neighbouring leasehold information on an ad hoc basis to pass on to other leaseholders.

Volunteers wanted for ILA
The ILA is looking for a volunteer to be co-opted to the ILA Board of Directors to assist with the monthly leaseholder meetings. This would include taking monthly minutes, typing up and distributing to all Directors, recording attendance and other administration tasks.
We are also looking for community minded volunteers with various skills for occasional projects e.g, professional experience in law, accounting, surveying, occasional investigation work, as well as people with skills in social networking, promotion, DTP, a sponsorship and advertising manager (for newsletter & website), journalist to improve ILA image and/or contribute to newsletter and/or website, contributors to write to press/contact media re: Leaseholder concerns.

If interested please:
email: islington.leaseholders@hotmail.co.uk     or
write to : ILA, Po Box 66633 , London N1 1AA

Helen Cagnoni (ILA director) letter to the tribune on Council broken promises to return Council Housing back to Islington Councils’ direct responsibility at the completion of ‘Decent Homes’ work,,  expensive delays in advertising for a so-called ‘independent tenants’ advisor’, and avoiding responsibility for their full statutory duties, and ILA preventing leaseholders from being overcharged..more