Councillors taking an in-depth look at the effects of anti-social behaviour on people living in social housing are expecting to hear a great deal of “lived experience” over the next six months.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s People Overview and Scrutiny Committee agreed to start a task and finish group focusing on anti-social behaviour in council and housing association properties to better understand the situation locally and compare it with other areas.
The group’s six voting members – three Labour councillors, one Green, one Conservative and one Independent – are expected to look at best practice across the country and academic research and to hear from tenants about the effect of anti-social behaviour on their lives.
The group could also include councillors who are not cabinet members but who are interested in the issue as non-voting members.
Labour councillor Jackie O’Quinn, who chairs the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee, will also chair the task and finish group.
She was a member of a similar group that looked into short-term holiday lets in Brighton and Hove and said that it had been a fascinating experience. Members spoke with colleagues from other councils across the country about the same issue.
Councillor O’Quinn: “This is a big topic at the moment. There is a lot of anti-social behaviour. It’s very widespread nationally and I did really push to have the housing associations included because we have so many councillors reporting back that there are issues with a whole range of housing association providers in the city.
“I thought it was interesting that we didn’t have any figures for anti-social behaviour in housing associations, only from council housing.”
She added: “We will certainly have lots of lived experience, I think, an abundance of that. It will be an interesting journey.”
The council’s resident satisfaction survey results for 2023-24 were: Very satisfied 26 per cent, fairly satisfied 29 per cent, neither satisfied or dissatisfied 9 per cent, fairly dissatisfied 13 per cent, very dissatisfied 23 per cent. But the report did not include the baseline numbers.
A report to councillors said: “Anecdotally, councillors have reported being regularly contacted by residents about anti-social behaviour caused by their neighbours in housing association or council properties.
“Residents reporting these issues are not just concerned about the anti-social behaviour itself but the way it is dealt with and the timeframe in which it is resolved.”
Figures from the council’s housing performance report for 2024-25, presented to council housing management panels last month, said that 785 cases of anti-social behaviour were reported last year.
Three categories of anti-social behaviour were listed in a scoping paper to the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee – personal, nuisance and environmental.
And 13 types of anti-social behaviour were listed as
- Vehicle abandoned
- Vehicle nuisance or inappropriate use
- Rowdy or inconsiderate behaviour
- Rowdy or nuisance neighbours
- Littering or drugs paraphernalia
- Animal problems
- Trespassing
- Nuisance calls
- Street drinking
- Activity relating to sex workers or sex working
- Begging
- Misuse of fireworks
Last month, Hollingdean Residents’ Association again told a council housing management panel about rogue bikers racing around streets on the estate.
More than 100 complaints have been made to Sussex Police and a joint meeting has been organised between housing officials and the force.
In Craven Vale, Theobald House and Hampshire Court residents have complained about drug dealers taking over council flats.
At a Housing and New Homes Committee meeting in March last year, one resident of Theobald House, a high-rise block, described the building as “the city pharmacy” and said that families had to step over people doing drugs.
The task and finish group is due to report back to the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee in January.
The “group” should also look at why nothing has been done about this for the last 50 + years, been left to degenerate for so long it’s common to every housing estate in the UK.