Genesis Survey Report

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Genesis Housing Association – Resident Survey 2014-15 Karen Buck MP

Table of Contents

Summary My survey of Genesis’ Westminster tenants generated an overwhelming response with 15% of tenants in the borough responding to me in writing. Many more have called my office to share their views. The responses have been unambiguous – residents are unhappy with Genesis and what’s more, they feel things are getting even worse. The overriding complaint is about poor communication; whether getting through to the Contact Centre, missed maintenance appointments with no notice, unanswered emails to the service charge team to resolve obvious billing errors or complaints about nuisance neighbours falling on deaf ears. As well as making general recommendations for improvement, I have raised hundreds of individual residents issues with Genesis as part of this survey. While I am always pleased to be able to help, it is a poor reflection on Genesis’ approach to customer service that the only way tenants feel they can resolve a housing issue is to involve their MP.

2. About this survey

3. General satisfaction

4. Maintenance satisfaction

8. Service charge satisfaction

9. A word on ‘Rental Exchange’

10. Anti-Social Behaviour satisfaction

11. Transfer satisfaction

13. Approach to benefit cuts

14. Conclusions and recommendations

Talking to my neighbours they have tales of; anti-social neighbours, unsafe homes which Genesis refuses to make safe even after visits from Westminster Council, service charges where no services are provided and faulty major repairs causing damage to personal property. The list is long and worrying. Maida Vale Resident

I just wanted to drop a note to thank you for your involvement, it has made all the difference. Whilst clearly we are far from resolution in my case, your engagement in the matter has, for the first time, instigated Genesis to actually respond. My neighbours and I speak all the time, and you have given them a voice. Little Venice Resident

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About this survey

Housing is a huge problem in Westminster and many residents contact me about issues like affordability, disrepair and overcrowding. These come from all over and all sectors, but unfortunately a great many of the complaints I receive about these issues from social tenants are about Genesis Housing Association. I carried out a survey of Genesis residents in November 2014 as I wanted to give all tenants the chance to have their views on this issue heard and to try to spur Genesis into action and push through some improvements. In total 269 people responded to my survey, representing 15% of Genesis tenants in the Westminster North area. This is a much larger response than I ever hoped for, demonstrating residents’ strength of feeling on this issue. Many people were at pains to preface their responses by saying they were grateful to Genesis for providing them with a place to live in the first place, some said they appreciated the difficult financial situation Government cuts had placed all social landlords in, and others pointed out that the council and private rented sector are not without their problems. All of these points are valid. However, the complaints I receive from Genesis residents are out of all proportion with their relative size in the borough. In the North Paddington area of Westminster (postcode areas W9, W10 and NW6) Genesis own about 1 in 5 housing association homes. You would expect that 1 in 5 complaints I received about a housing association would therefore be about Genesis – in fact that figure was closer to 3 in 5 in 2014. Genesis obviously face the same challenges that affect all social landlords in Central London. However, I don’t see that this is any reason why they can’t offer their tenants the same standard of service as some of their better performing local competitors like Walterton and Elgin Community Homes, Octavia or Catalyst. Housing Association

Complaints in North Paddington

Genesis

Octavia

Stadium

Walterton andElginCatalyst

A2Dominion

All Other

Housing Association Size in North Paddington

Genesis

Octavia

Stadium

Walterton andElgin

Catalyst

A2Dominion

All Other

When I started living in a PCHA property it was a small organisation. Now it seems like an enormous bureaucracy. Maida Vale Resident

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Agree13%

Neither 14%

Disagree73%

Total Responses: 269Skipped: 0

Agree6%

Neither 13%

Disagree81%


General Satisfaction

1) Overall, are you satisfied as a tenant of Genesis Housing Association?

Despite qualifications that they were happy to be in social housing and grateful to Genesis for providing them with a tenancy, unfortunately the vast majority of residents said they were unsatisfied in general with Genesis. What’s more, most people also said they thought things were getting worse. 2) Thinking about how things have changed over the past few years, overall do you think things at Genesis are getting better?

An overwhelming majority, 4 in 5 residents, disagreed that things were getting better at Genesis. Many people regretted the transformation of Paddington Churches Housing Association into Genesis and several commented on the latter’s corporate ambitions, seemingly more interested in developing new homes for private sale than taking good care of existing properties and tenants. This is a bleak picture of dissatisfied tenants who feel their landlord is getting even worse. The next six sections of the survey aim to find out the reasons for residents’ unhappiness.

I think Genesis is the worst housing association in the UK. Before I moved here I was with another landlord and did a swap. Within two months I started to experience difficulties. Now I say to myself, ‘What have I done?’ Bayswater Resident Remember they are not a corporation, and their tenants are not simply a way for them to make money. They are a charity. Little Venice Resident The list of problems is too long it cannot be boiled down to one thing. Maybe offer to be taken over by a more effective and responsible housing association. Bayswater Resident

We have been PCHA tenants since 1972. Their move to join Genesis was a mistake, resulting in a poor service, poor communication generally and poor appointment time keeping. Harrow Road Resident It is becoming increasingly obvious that Genesis is changing itself from a socially conscious organisation into a private landlord that cares more about its portfolio of sales, rather than its existing tenants. It’s become a ghost of what it once was – until around 5 years ago it was excellent, but now, sadly it is just another corporate behemoth. Maida Vale Resident The last few years Genesis has really gone down the drain with regard to repairs. I do hope they improve. Anonymous Resident

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Agree18%

Neither 16%

Disagree66%


Maintenance satisfaction

3) Is it easy to make contact with Genesis to report a problem?

Residents couldn’t have been clearer on what they thought their landlord’s main problem is and poor communication was mentioned by almost every respondent. In many cases residents struggled to get through to the contact centre and promised call backs didn’t happen. Too often messages get lost between the contact centre and the back office. I have included this in the maintenance section as repairs are the most common reason for contacting Genesis and breakdowns in communication seem especially severe here. However, complaints about communication were common across every service area.

To simply be able to make an appointment over the phone when you call them. Presently they tell you that someone will get back to you to make an appointment and they don’t. So you repeat and go through the whole procedure again three days later. And again. Until you give up. Bayswater Resident

They should contact tenants back. When dealing with repairs Genesis do not contact you – the tenant has to keep contacting them until the repair is done. This took many months in my case… Little Venice Resident

Nothing is followed through to a resolution. All their switchboard can do is send emails to surveyors who never contact you. You are stonewalled, as they won’t give you their email or a number. Harrow Road Resident

Actually answer the telephone on the customer service switchboard and actually putting you in touch with who you need to speak to. By actually calling you back when you have requested their call back in 24 hours service. By actually dealing with complaints when you have made them. Bayswater Resident I have waited 30 minutes just to get hold of Genesis team to report a problem. My phone call is simply past around from one person to the next and no one knows for sure how to deal with a given issue. Harrow Road Resident Getting some sort of acknowledgement to emails would help instead of either an automatic reply or complete silence so that I have to chase constantly. I have been trying to resolve an issue for nearly 8 months and still not been able to yet. They just completely ignore emails etc or don't follow up. Maida Vale Resident That they reply to emails. It appears that they hope if they do not answer your emails or complaints, the problem will just go away. Their customer service is bad. Anonymous Resident Show some respect to their long suffering tenants! I am a leaseholder but the stories I have heard from tenants are beyond belief. Nothing gets done because of the high turnover of staff and letters are simply ignored or may even go straight into a rubbish bin. Westbourne Resident

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Genesis lack customer service skills. I always find the operators very helpful but actually getting to speak to the managers or staff has proved very difficult for me. It’s come to the point where I feel like not contacting them if I have issues as I never get the help I need. Bayswater Resident Listen, listen, listen and make efforts to understand what is needed from the tenant’s point of view. Also communicate freely with tenants. Telephone staff are wonderful, cheerful and efficient. The office staff need to follow their example. Bayswater Resident

Despite coming in for heavy criticism, the contact centre was also the only part of Genesis that also received consistent praise from tenants. There is clearly a problem with answering calls and there are some complaints about rudeness and confusion when calling Genesis. However, I feel the responsibility for issues reported by telephone not being acted upon and calls not being returned does not necessarily lie with the contact centre itself.

Abolish their customer services team as it is not fit for purpose. They keep you waiting for as long as 45 minutes and then they cut you off. They will not put you through to the people you want to speak to as they say they cannot. Bayswater Resident

Not to be passed from pillar to post on the switchboard and having to repeat the same complaint to several different people. Also been cut off and also been rude to. It is depressing and frustrating. Westbourne Resident Make it easier to contact individual teams or Neighbourhood Manager by providing their telephone numbers. I have little confidence of getting a response after leaving a message with the contact centre. Tenants need to be able to speak to a department member, not a succession of switchboard operators. Bayswater Resident If I telephone Genesis it takes an age to get through to anyone and when I do manage to speak to someone they are mostly surly. I have experienced two instances recently where the call has been disconnected for no other reason than what I perceive as a ‘can’t be bothered’ attitude. Maida Vale Resident I have spent countless hours on the phone chasing up on works when promises were made and simply were not fulfilled. Secondly, a couple of times when I have called to report a repair by e-mail I never hear back so after 2 weeks call them and am told there is a problem with the system and they are unable to give me a job number for the repair as their system is down (yet again). So bored with the same old. Westbourne Resident

Since the so called reshuffle my Property Manager told me that he has been given x amount more properties to look after and that he was told that there would be less interaction with tenants – so it looks as if things have to go through email. When the housing association was PCHA things were much better and more face to face or phone contact. The bigger Genesis is getting the less quality of service we are getting! Little Venice Resident To deliver a service and communicate effectively with tenants! No one is accountable. There are tiers and tiers of Managers but no one resolves anything. Harrow Road Resident Improve methods for contacting staff directly, rather than through the call centre, and either way improve response times which are appalling (if you are responded to at all). Anonymous Resident

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Agree13%

Neither 18%

Disagree69%


4) When appointments are made and promises of action are given, are these kept?

The most frequent issue I am asked to take up by Genesis tenants is the failure to follow through on maintenance works. There are two main problems. Firstly, a surveyor visits and draws up a plan to deal with a problem, but the necessary work orders are never raised and a contractor is never asked to visit. Secondly, appointments with contractors are booked, but are not kept. When I raise the second issue with Genesis, I am often told that the appointment never existed and the resident is presumed to have got the wrong end of the stick. This might be true sometimes, but it happens too often to be the full explanation. Conversely, workers turning up without notice, is common. There is a serious problem here which Genesis urgently needs to address. Again, I have included failure to take agreed action in the maintenance section of the survey, as this is where this problem most frequently occurs. However, as with communication, it is an issue right across the board, especially with the service charge team and housing management.

The service offered to residents is virtually non-existent! Despite innumerable inspections of property by surveyors who take photographs of problem and promise action, nothing is done. Westbourne Resident Employ a person to look into uncompleted maintenance jobs that have been reported by tenants that are still unresolved. At the moment Genesis expect residents to do the chasing. Once a tenant has reported a maintenance job, the responsibility for ensuring it is completed should be Genesis's responsibility. Bayswater Resident

To match the diligence they have for pursuing arrears to following through repairs. Harrow Road Resident

At 82 years of age, I feel I have less time to waste than those of younger years. Therefore I see endlessly chasing Genesis as a theft of my time. Little Venice Resident To communicate, let the tenants know when a contractor will not be turning up. Do the job professionally and not half done. The whole attitude of Genesis is not very pleasant or helpful. Bayswater Resident Genesis should seek to be more responsive to requests. Quite often when I have raised an issue (both via email and phone call), literally no action is taken and I have to raise the issue repeatedly before progress is made. Whilst I appreciate that providing service is never easy and there are bound to be mistakes made, it seems that Genesis have a pattern of poor customer service that urgently needs to be addressed. Maida Vale Resident

I think Genesis are the worst housing association going. They have made numerous appointments with me for problems I have in my flat and have hardly kept any one of them. I’ve left numerous phone calls to repairs and landlord and they have never had the courtesy to ring me back which I think is disgusting. Queen’s Park Resident Genesis need to stick to appointments for repairs. Since switching from PCHA I have made an appointment on a certain date only for Genesis to want access either prior or later than the set date, which is unprofessional and unacceptable. Bayswater Resident

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Agree12%

Neither 23%

Disagree65%


5) When repairs are done, are you happy with the quality and confident problems won’t reoccur?

Residents appear to be little happier with the quality of repairs, with 2 out of 3 people saying they weren’t confident their problems wouldn’t reoccur in the near future. It was widely felt that Genesis adopted a make do and mend approach and were reluctant to remedy the root cause of a problem as this would likely involve spending more money, at least in the short-term. I am told too often by Genesis that a problem ‘has been resolved and to a high standard’, only to hear from the tenant a few weeks later telling me that the issue is as bad as ever. Closely linked to this are the many comments I received about delayed cyclical works, with large numbers of residents, especially in street properties in Maida Vale, Little Venice and Bayswater, saying their roofing, exterior walls and windows are desperate for attention.

Other suggestions for improving repairs and maintenance

Remedy the cause of disrepair as well as the symptoms. They deal with mould and replaster in my flat but they never fix the leaking roof. Anonymous Resident They should improve the standard and upkeep of their housing stock. This flat has rotting windows, crumbling walls, a huge crack in the living room ceiling and a bathroom that has not been updated in 28 years. It is shocking. Bayswater Resident I think Genesis are so uncaring and the maintenance is so so stressful. Jobs just don’t get done and then they do they are not done properly. I have tried to get my damp sorted before my lung cancer this year, but it didn’t happen. Bayswater Resident

Rather than make a ‘quick fix’ repair I’d like to see more investigation and analysis so that more thorough long term repairs are carried out. Surely this would prove more economical in the long run. Maida Vale Resident

Create an online forum that shows all the issues that have been raised by block. Currently tenants do not know whether an issue has already been raised, resulting in duplication of requests. List what has been raised, when it was raised, and what Genesis plans to do. This would allow the property manager to take better responsibility for their jobs under their purview. Harrow Road Resident

Create a system whereby one person oversees all issues at a property and Genesis becomes transparent. This used to be the job of the Housing Manager but the overload of work how means they are too busy and elusive to deal with their tenants face to face. Anonymous Resident

Have a system where it is possible and convenient to make contact with the repairs and maintenance team and make contact person to person, with a designated housing manager. Repairs and maintenance to be carried out at evenings and weekends as well as the standard Mon to Fri times. Harrow Road Resident

Contractors should be promised free parking so that they can do their jobs properly and not rush. Bayswater Resident

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Agree5%

Neither 16%

Disagree79%


Service charge satisfaction

6) Are Genesis service charges easy to understand and are you confident they are accurate?

A worrying 4 out of 5 residents said they either didn’t understand their service charge, or they did understand it but they were confident it was wrong. Common complaints include; houses being charged for services in communal corridors they don’t have, residents being asked to pay for communal water supplies that don’t exist, or tenants being billed for waste removal as a block then for a second time as an estate. What makes this problem so much worse is that the service charge team are overwhelmed with complaints and are therefore completely unresponsive to resident queries. Often a resident is still trying to get an issue resolved on last year’s bill when this year’s bill, and even next year’s estimate has arrived. Once (finally!) resolved on one bill, it is common to see incorrect charges creep back on in later years. The system appears to be in chaos. It’s worth noting that I received about 100 service charge complaints about Genesis in 2014, and none at all from tenants of any other landlord.

Get service charges calculated accurately. Every year they are incorrect. I have been sending emails since April 2014 querying my latest charge (500% increase). I have received no response from them and now my rent account shows arrears. Maida Vale Resident I had to fight over service charges as we were being charged for services like cleaning which we never had. We have been paying it for years but didn’t know it. We received no refund. Bayswater Resident The service charge set up is very, very poor. Our own had increased a year ago by up to 800% - as I did the maths! The staff at Genesis didn’t seem able to and hadn’t even bothered to check the premises. I was furious and sent an email to Neil Hadden, which prompted a response! Harrow Road Resident

Respond to letters, emails and telephone calls. We have had problems with the rent department. Recently we wrote the Finance Director about service charges on 6th October and have received no reply or even an acknowledgement. Maida Vale Resident They recently tried to up my service charge by 400%. I told them that I would cancel the direct debit and take legal advice. They backed down but I'm expecting them to try again. Bayswater Resident Provide an efficient, transparent and approachable leaseholder management service. Westbourne Resident There needs to be a serious review of Genesis' astronomical and completely unjust service charges. My service charge tripled overnight in April 2014 and I am still locked in debate about it due to Genesis' ineptitude and lackadaisical stance whilst service charge arrears continue to mount. Anonymous Resident

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Agree5%

Neither 18%

Disagree77%


7) Do you think your service charge represents value for money?

Even once service charge bills are accurate, most residents don’t believe they offer value for money. While it’s fair to charge for some genuine services like communal heating or gardening, it leaves a sour taste for many that Genesis are moving towards charging extra for the basics, like fire alarms.

A word on ‘Rental Exchange’ Several residents used the survey to tell me about Genesis’ involvement in ‘Rental Exchange’ – an information sharing scheme between landlords and Experian. The stated aim of the scheme is to use tenants’ regular rent payments to generate a credit history and thereby allow people access to credit and better terms for buying services such as utilities and phone contracts. Residents had several concerns about this scheme, which I share:

I have been putting these concerns to Genesis over the past few months. Residents are able to opt-out from the scheme, which Genesis believes gets round privacy and Data Protection issues, although the right to opt-out has not been well signposted. You can opt-out by contacting Margaret Roffe on 07860 407 838 or [email protected] I also had concerns that residents experiencing delayed Housing Benefit claims would see their credit scores affected through no fault of their own – Genesis have now confirmed that Benefit payments - including varying payment dates - will be noted and consideration given to any late payments. One concern has not been addressed – the fact that Genesis are knowingly passing a good deal of incorrect data about service charge accounts to Experian. I have written to the Information Commissioner’s Office to ask for their view on this.

Provide the services they list in the service rent, and do so in a timely manner. In 4 1/2 years, I have not seen anything done to the property that merits any service charge. Little Venice Resident The high service charges as compared to Westminster Council. At Hallfield Estate where I used to live, the stairways were cleaned nearly every day, bins emptied and gardens maintained – all for approx £4 per week. There are no facilities at my house – I don’t know what my service charge is for. I brush down the stairs and my neighbours tend to the garden. Bayswater Resident

I received an unsigned and undated letter three weeks ago, purporting to be from genesis - plotting there plan to link up with a third party credit agency called Experian, on this letter both the phone number and email address were invalid. Bayswater Resident Respect our privacy and cancel the contract they have with Experian. I do not want my data shared with outside companies. I do not want any inability to pay rent on time to make things harder for me by affecting my credit rating. I do not have a say in this however! Anonymous Resident We received letters telling us that Genesis has taken it upon themselves to share our financial rent history with a credit organisation called Experian!!!! I was furious at this, how dare they? Harrow Road Resident

mailto:[email protected]

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Agree5%

Neither 45%

Disagree50%


8) When you report an Anti-Social Behaviour issue to Genesis, is it dealt with quickly and effectively?

Many more people chose to skip the question on anti-social behaviour, a welcome reflection of the fact that while everyone pays a service charge and everyone will need a repair at some point, most people get on with most of their neighbours. I suspect that the large number of people neither agreeing nor disagreeing with question will partially be people who felt the issue was not relevant for them. Of those who did have an opinion, very few felt Genesis’ response to ASB reports could be described as quick or effective and residents called for much better early intervention to prevent small disputes from escalating.

Also of concern were the residents who mentioned a poor response to hate crime. This is a serious problem for anyone affected and, to their credit, Genesis have been making efforts to tackle it. While evidently there is still work to do, Genesis already run an LGBT Forum and a Disability Forum and I have received positive feedback about these groups as part of the survey:

For more information about the Disability Forum, call 033 3000 300 or email [email protected]

To stop ignoring ASB issues – Genesis have a responsibility to their tenants. Anonymous Resident I have reported ASB on two occasions – Genesis has NEVER gotten back to me. Maida Vale Resident It would be good if the response to ASB reports was acted on quickly to put a stop to incidents so they don’t escalate. Westbourne Resident To treat homophobic abuse seriously! Bayswater Resident

I am a longstanding Genesis tenant in Westminster and have received your survey. A friend of mine had suffered severe homophobic harassment and ASB from a neighbour when he was in a property belonging to another RSL. This meant he was unable to return to his home and suffered PTSD. After a great deal of negotiation we managed to get him transferred into a Genesis flat, and this whole episode led to the formation of a supportive Genesis LGBT group. It is only attended by a few residents so far but it is well respected within the organisation and we have influence. I want to make sure that you are aware that it exists and if any of your constituents who are Genesis tenants experience ASB or hate crime due to being LGBT then please let them know about it. All enquiries to [email protected] who heads up the group. New members are very welcome, regardless of whether they are dealing with problems or not, and we meet at the Genesis offices in Pratt St in Camden. Bayswater Resident

I have informed Genesis about the issues with this neighbour. I have contacted the community police and they have told me they are working with Genesis-that was in August, to date no one has made any contact. Harrow Road Resident



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Agree4%

Neither 56%

Disagree40%


Agree7%

Neither 54%

Disagree39%


Transfer satisfaction 9) Do you understand what your Band and Priority Date means and know your chances of moving?

As with anti-social behaviour many people chose to skip the questions on transfers, a reflection of the fact that most people are not looking to move away from their current home. 10) Do you think your Band and Priority Date accurately reflect your situation and that the system of prioritising transfer cases is fair? For those who did feel they could comment on the transfer system, most had mixed feelings on understanding their Locata Band and Priority Date, feeling that these details accurately and fairly reflected their situation and that they knew their chances of moving. There were also considerable minorities who said that they didn’t understand the system and didn’t think it was fair. My view is that this mixed response is a recognition that while transfers are excruciatingly slow and this is partially due to the approach taken by Genesis, larger factors such as council policy and the Government’s failure to invest enough in building new social homes are also involved. Many people commented on Genesis’ policy of selling off smaller flats on the open market, at prices long term tenants and their families could never dream of affording.

More effort to accelerate the transfer process. Harrow Road Resident I find it very difficult to find a one bedroom flat for my transfer. I have been bidding for different properties since as early as 2007 but all I have seen is unsuitable. Bayswater Resident Genesis want to take your rent money but they never get back to you with your issues. It’s taken them five months and counting to even add me to the transfer list… Maida Vale Resident

When contacting Genesis about our banding and priority date, we sent an email and had to send a reminder before getting a reply which turned out not to answer the question asked. We asked the question again, have been waiting a further couple of weeks and still no reply. Bayswater Resident

Since Genesis have taken over from Paddington Churches properties are sold to landlords and rented back to the housing with high, unaffordable rents. Bayswater Resident

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I have made enquiries with the Council’s Housing Department about exactly how many homes Genesis are selling. The answer is astounding; Genesis have sold 224 homes in Westminster alone since 2006. Other landlords put together have sold just 17.

Association Number of units

disposed of in the

borough of

Westminster

Average price of

unit sold – where

known

Size of units

Genesis 224 £309,825 Studio & 1 beds

Peabody 7 £314,000 2 beds

Family Mosaic 7 - 1 beds

Notting Hill 2 - 1 beds

Places for

People

1 - 1beds

These properties could have been offered to new tenants, or they could have been offered to downsizers and thereby free up family sized accommodation, available for re-letting to overcrowded families. They could also have been used to help residents like this young lady, who wanted to exchange her three bed family home for a one bed for her and a one bed for her father.

Not only would this have met the housing needs of both residents, but a valuable three bedroom home could have been offered to an overcrowded local family. Instead Genesis chose to sell all 224 homes to private buyers and they are forever lost to the social rented sector. Residents are also right to ask why more of the profits, just short of £70 million, have not at least been invested in homes and services back in Westminster.

As a young single person Genesis offer absolutely nothing to help assist me to find affordable housing. On my own I can’t afford to rent privately and Genesis offer absolutely nothing to me to assist me to leave home (such as swapping our three bed for two one-beds). Westbourne Resident

Every time someone dies in St Stephen’s Gardens rather than house another tenant they put the flat up for sale (auction) this practice makes me very angry.it feels like class cleansing, PCHA never used to do this. We recently had an elderly disabled man die on the ground floor which would of been perfect for a sick or elderly person. Instead it was left vacant for nearly two years and now the property has been sold. This happens every time there's a vacant flat, so people on the waiting list for housing don’t get a chance. Genesis always say they can use the money for other projects, does this mean they would really like to sell the whole area to the rich, which so far they have. It’s just not right. Bayswater Resident

The property where I live has not been decorated outside or in the communal areas for about 12 years. That is absolutely disgraceful. They say they haven’t the funds to carry out the decoration. Of course they have the funds, they are privately selling off their properties. They just don’t care! Maida Vale Resident

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Agree6%

Neither 42%

Disagree52%


Since the Bedroom TAX I have been struggling so much to make sure I pay my room tax. I had requested a transfer some time ago (over a year at least). WAS told by my then Housing Officer that ONLY a housing swap is ALL I CAN DO. So I am being penalised to remain in a 2 bedroom flat simply because there are no 1 BEDROOM stock flats available so I am STUCK topping up the BEDROOM TAX. Bayswater Resident

11) Do you feel Genesis have been proactive in contacting you to let you know how the

government’s benefit cuts will affect you?

A majority of residents felt that Genesis’ response to the Government’s cuts to social security had been poor. Although Genesis aren’t responsible for the cuts and while a future Labour government would abolish the unjust Bedroom Tax, for the moment social landlords are responsible for helping their tenants understand and adapt to the welfare changes. Genesis do have a Welfare Reform Team, who can be contacted through the Contact Centre on 033 3000 3000 or [email protected] It is clear though that more could be done to help hard pressed tenants, especially those affected by the Bedroom Tax. One resident got in touch to say she wasn’t registered for a transfer even though as a downsizer freeing up a family sized flat, she should have been given top priority.

It is also disingenuous for Genesis to say there are no one bedroom properties to move residents like this lady to. As we know, Genesis have so many spare one bedroom flats, 224 have been sold to private buyers in the past decade. Genesis need to justify why they are selling properties when tenants buckling under the Bedroom Tax are desperate to move. Anyone struggling with Bedroom Tax or benefit cap issues, or worried about Universal Credit or the move from DLA to PIP can contact Genesis’ Welfare Team. Alternatively help is available from: ● Turn2Us on 0808 802 2000 (9am-8pm Monday-Friday)

Calls are free for all landlines and for major mobile network providers (including 'pay as you go' phones) - EE, Orange, 3, Vodafone, T-Mobile, Virgin and O2

● Citizens’ Advice Westminster on 08444 771 611 ● In person at Advice Plus at the Beethoven Centre, Third Avenue, W10 4JL on Monday

afternoons (except Bank Holidays) between 1-4pm Please do also feel free to get in touch with my office on 020 8968 7999 and we will help if we can or point you in the right direction – the most important thing to do is ask for help as soon as you can!


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Conclusions and Recommendations

Improve communication Across a whole range of services, from maintenance to service charges, anti-social behaviour to preparing for benefit cuts, the message from tenants is clear – communication is desperately poor. Residents aren’t asking for the world. People want their phone call or email answered, then they want follow up actions to happen in a reasonable timescale, without having to endlessly chase Genesis up re-explaining the problem time and time again. This should be quite straightforward to achieve and it’s so concerning that so many Genesis tenants feel they haven’t got this right. From my discussions with Genesis staff it does sometimes feel as if they view chasing them as part and parcel of a resident’s duties – much more so than they see it as their responsibility to ensure they get things right the first time they are asked. This attitude needs to change. Residents made several other constructive suggestions were made to improve communication:

Ensure service charge bills are accurate The current situation, where residents must fight every year to correct the same old mistakes in service charge bills, cannot continue. Genesis have told me that part of the problem is due to their IT system, as every year many service charge items drop off and must be re-entered manually from memory. This is no way to run a business. Genesis need to consider why they have got this so wrong and why this doesn’t appear to be an issue at all for tenants of any other Westminster housing association. I suspect the problem may be that Genesis operate a variable service charge system, while most other landlords apply a much simpler fixed service charge – avoiding the need for endless revisions and amendments, which there clearly isn’t the administrative capacity to deal with properly. Whether a variable or fixed system, the chaos of general needs tenants being charged for on site meals and of basement flats being charged for lighting in a communal hallway they have no access to needs to end.

They could offer at least a couple of days a week where they take calls until 5pm instead of the usual 4pm. I

am unable to get in touch via phone with them, because I work until 4pm, and trying to call them during lunch time has resulted in my whole lunch slot being spent waiting in the call queue and listening to music and messages. Anonymous Resident

I would suggest an annual visit from Housing Officer – to get to know tenants and to talk about any issues. Bayswater Resident Make themselves more accessible – it is now difficult to meet with them face to face. Maida Vale Resident They moved their Head Office to Camden Town and closed the small office on Harrow Road. The tenants cannot see anyone without an appointment now. Bayswater Resident Tenants Quarterly Meeting Group to address concerns. Queen’s Park Resident

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Catch up with cyclical works Most complaints about maintenance relate to the now all too familiar breakdowns in communication. However, the survey did reveal some other problems as well. Major works and external decorations for many streets in Westminster have been delayed for several years and residents are upset that despite paying their rent week in week out Genesis allow their homes to become tired, shabby and in some cases dangerous. Several streets also stood out in the survey as giving particular cause for concern: ● Amberley Road – where almost every resident wrote to me to complain about long standing problems with damp, mould and excessively cold living conditions. ● Hormead and Fermoy Roads – where an alarming number of people complained about leaks from higher flats, in some cases leading to collapsing ceilings. ● Grand Union Close – despite pressure from residents, councillors and from me for a number of years, Genesis are still dragging their feet resolving a number of maintenance issues including cold bridging, excess cold and broken windows. Numerous surveys have been done and it’s now time to see some real action on the estate.

Stop selling our homes Genesis celebrates its fiftieth birthday this year. When it was founded in 1965 its mission statement was; “Churches in Paddington form Housing Association to provide homes at low rent for needy Paddington families, irrespective of colour, race or creed.” While it’s great this model has proven so successful Genesis is now a major landlord across Southern England, they shouldn’t abandon their roots. With London’s housing crisis reaching new extremes, Genesis need to draw a line under their policy of selling local flats on the open market. These properties could be put to much better use; splitting up overcrowded families where this is appropriate for a family’s needs, freeing under-occupiers from the Bedroom Tax or letting the next generation stand on their own two feet by working with innovate schemes like the InCoMe Project – which offers adult children from overcrowded homes a tenancy of their own for two years alongside intensive support to get into education, employment or training. If Genesis do keep selling homes, residents deserve to know that the profits will at least be invested back in Westminster. I am sure you are as curious as I am to know where the £70 million Genesis have made from sales of Paddington flats has gone over the past decade – especially when so many people’s homes are overdue for major works.

What’s next? I have put these four points, as well as the rest of the survey, to Genesis and have invited them to consider the views of their Westminster residents and respond. I will let you know what they say.

Genesis Survey Report

Documents

Transcript of Genesis Survey Report