2 days Ago By Julia Armstrong and Local Democracy Reporter
Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Star, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. The council has responded that it is working on a policy that it will be consulting on later this year. Peter MacLoughlin, who campaigns around issues affecting council high-rise flat tenants, welcomed the policy introduced by the London Borough of Waltham Forest last October and urged the city council to do the same.
Advertisement Advertisement The policy defines what is meant by vulnerable tenants and what steps will be taken to ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to housing policies to respond to and support their needs. It also outlines how the information kept on vulnerable tenants is monitored and updated, as well as how services will be tailored to meet tenants’ diverse needs. The policy states: “A person may be vulnerable as a result of a single problem or condition, or due to a combination of factors.
Vulnerability can also occur at different points in a person’s life, for instance someone may need support following a traumatic event for a temporary period, whereas another may require support permanently. “Examples of temporary vulnerabilities could include recovery from surgery or short-term financial difficulties, whereas permanent vulnerabilities might include chronic disabilities or long-term mental health conditions.” Advertisement Advertisement It adds: “This policy does not assume that a whole group of people are vulnerable.
For example, it is not correct to assume that all older people are vulnerable, or that all disabled people are vulnerable.” Peter, who is a long-term council high-rise tenant in Netherthorpe, said he came across the policy during his online research. He has voiced concerns that people with mental health issues are housed in tower blocks .
Peter spoke out after the deaths of two women in falls from flat windows , pointing out how safety catches can be overridden. He is also advocating that vulnerable tenants in any type of council home should get support from housing teams. Advertisement Advertisement “Vulnerability isn’t just about flats and isn’t just about the issue of people falling and endangering themselves,” said Peter “There is a young lad in our flats who has a chronic heart condition who has been trying to get out for seven years.
There isn’t anything suitable for him. “There is also a 10-year-old who has a serious heart condition and uses a wheelchair living on the 12th floor in Netherthorpe. Only recently the lift to his particular floor was down for over a week.
” Peter said that a 97-year-old woman also lives on the 12th floor of one block in his neighbourhood. She is virtually bedridden and relies on personal assistants and her daughter. Advertisement Advertisement He said that council attempts to engage with tenants, such as the high-rise forum set up last year, are hampered by the fact that many tenants either cannot afford good internet connections or are not confident to attend online meetings.
Others have language issues. The council confirmed that it is “currently hard at work on a new Vulnerable Tenants Policy and will be engaging with residents and partners on this later this year”. A spokesperson said the council is also mindful of digital inclusion and will seek to engage with residents in a variety of ways to ensure everyone can have their say and be reached.
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