SHAC Article:

Notting Hill Genesis Woes: Residents Win Legal Battle Over Historic Repair Costs

Geri Girardi and SHAC collaborated on a report about the recent First-tier Tribunal ruling which struck a blow against housing association Notting Hill Genesis (NHG).

The ruling raises important questions about how registered social landlords recover the cost of major works from leaseholders, but it also represents more bad news for a serially scandal-hit NHG. Read here.

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National Housing Union:

Blueprint Finalised

Our Blueprint lays out the case for the formation of a National Housing Union, explains who it is for, how it will run and how it will be funded. The document is a whopping 80 pages long including graphics and appendices. However, as it is aimed at trade unions, it spends some time setting out the scale of the housing emergency across all the regions of the UK, offers analysis of their housing movements, and the barriers that people face in trying to challenge landlords. Much of this will already be familiar to our readers. The Blueprint’s index therefore has live links to chapters to help readers navigate between sections. Read here.

End Service Charge Abuse:

Legal Project Progress

After many months of work, our project to challenge government over its failure to protect tenants and residents from service charge exploitation took a big step forward last week with a letter to the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) issued by our solicitors at the Public Interest Law Centre.

The letter sets out a series of actions that we want the RSH to take to address the enforcement gap. We are unable to share the full text of the letter as it may be subject to legal proceedings, but we will report on the RSH's response which will determine the next steps in the project.

Our petition has more than 900 signatures, but with your help, we can get many, many more. We have until 13 November. Sign here, like and share here:

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Housing Association Sector:

MPs Blast Accountability Gap - and a Call to Action:

A cross-party group of 29 MPs have signed a letter composed by Bell Rebeiro-Addy MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill which blasts housing associations' lack of accountability and regulation. The letter opens by asserting:

"We strongly believe that residents in housing association (HA) properties across the country are being failed. They are being failed by landlords who face insufficient accountability, by complaints processes that exhaust rather than resolve, and by a regulatory framework that has not kept pace with reforms elsewhere in the housing sector. We are therefore writing to urge the Government to address this during this parliamentary session."

See here.

Please share the letter using the social media links below and on the Nextdoor platform (joining details are later in this newsletter). If your MP has signed the letter, ask them to keep up the pressure on Government. If they haven’t, ask them to add their support.

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SHAC Supported Protest:

Clarion Head Office

Well done to our member Victor and all those who braved the intense heat in London on Friday to protest at Clarion's lack of action to make homes bearable. There are serious health implications for people living in poorly insulated housing, especially those with health conditions.

Victor lives in an uninsulated home that make it impossible to properly store food and essential medicines, and all his appeals to Clarion to act have been ignored.

To put this in context, Clarion Housing Group reported an operating surplus of £289 million for the 2025-26 financial year. It's chief executive Clare Miller received a total remuneration package of approximately £491,000, and many other executives receive in excess of £100,000 per year. We will continue supporting those campaigning for safe and decent homes.

Bailiffs Campaign:

Appeal for Support

Community campaign group ACORN are fighting back – campaigning for a fairer system, and dignity for our families and our communities. They are highlighting the broken council tax system which leaves poorer homes paying disproportionately more than rich ones. And especially that the way it’s collected is hurting people and damaging communities, with bully bailiffs being called in when people are left in debt. Now, they are campaigning for a bailiff-free Britain and are calling for all to get involved. See more here.

Next SHAC Monthly Meeting

Our regular monthly meetings provide an opportunity to hear updates on our campaigning and action, and to share any actions you are taking to hold your landlord to account.

Please join us for the next meeting:

6.30pm, Thursday 20th August

Zoom link - passcode 459809

Add the date to your calendar here. You can find details of all SHAC events here.