I have to admit until coming to Brandwood I knew almost nothing about Social Housing, I don't know a great deal now, but what I do know, horrifies me.
How can we allow young families to have to stay in the tower blocks, why is it that the Councils contractors, get paid for work they haven't done, why can't an older person who has brought up their family move out of a four bedroom property in to a two bedroom house easily?
One of the first things I did in the new role was read up as much as I could on Housing Issues.Social housing has been neglected for decades, particularly when The Conservatives were in government and this Council is doing likewise.
Now in Birmingham we have an owner-Occupier/private sector time bomb on our hands and virtually nothing is being said or done about it.
Of Birmingham's 419,000 homes 219,000 are owner-occupied / private landlord of which 159,000 fail The Governments "Decent Homes Standard". Decent homes means the home is water-tight, has warmth and is damp free. But this Council seems to be only interested in it's own housing stock. WHY?
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