A tenant with mental health problems is believed to have committed suicide while living with a nightmare neighbour, prompting serious concerns about proper support for tenants and the way homes are allocated.
In another case, police took two weeks to respond when a council tenant threatened to rape a young woman on his estate and vulnerable residents have been left at the mercy of drug dealers, according to official reports.
More examples – including an arson in a block of flats – are set out in a series of questions and responses that are due to be discussed by tenants, councillors and council officials in the coming fortnight.
Brighton and Hove City Council tenants are repeatedly asked to log incidents and report them by housing officials and police, despite the personal risks including the fear of reprisals.
When they do collate evidence, a rep said: “Tenants are made to feel like they’re exaggerating the issue, that they’re ‘just complainers’ and are subsequently treated in ways that makes them feel like they have been blacklisted or fobbed off.”
Coldean residents reported the suspected suicide of an unnamed vulnerable tenant and said that there was too little support for people with mental health problems.
They said: “Residents have deep concerns about the way in which people are being allocated tenancies, particularly those who have a history of anti-social or criminal behaviour, those with drug/alcohol issues and/or those with serious mental health issues.
“The current allocations system is having a detrimental impact on residents’ day-to-day lives, and in extreme cases, putting their lives in danger.”
Some vulnerable tenants are too afraid to leave their flats unless they are sure that their nightmare neighbours are not around. Others have the stench from drug smokers permeating their homes.
One rep said: “Residents feel they have been left to live in a dangerous and frightening situation, with no support and no options.”
The same themes emerged in questions to three Brighton housing management panels – all due to meet in the coming fortnight – where tenant and leaseholder reps meet councillors and council officials.
The rape threat was alleged to have been made in Moulsecoomb by an aggressive tenant who has an large and intimidating dog.
The arsonist also threatened neighbours in Sylvan Hall, off Ditchling Road, was believed to have a history of similar behaviour, tenants said.
Drug dealing at Ardingly Court, in High Street, Brighton, has left some tenants afraid to go out.
And residents in Robert Lodge, in Whitehawk, said that a known drug dealer has been operating from their block but, they said, the council and police do not appear to have acted on complaints.
According to the meeting papers: “The tenant has been reported to both the police and the council. This particular problem has also previously been reported at resident-only meetings and taken to area panel.
“However, no visible action has been taken by the council and the situation has not improved for other tenants.”
Tenant reps in central Brighton are expected to complain about a convicted drug dealer housed in Ardingly Court at a meeting on Tuesday 16 September.
The report to the panel said that Ardingly Court was home to several vulnerable people who were now unsafe.
The report said: “The police have conducted several massive raids, causing fear and concern in the whole of Ardingly Court.
“Residents are frightened to go out in the garden, especially once it is dark, and will only do so if they are sure the perpetrator is not about.
“Some residents are worried about reprisals if they complain or speak to the police.
“There are a lot of vulnerable residents at Ardingly Court and this is affecting the safety and security of everyone but particularly those living closest to the perpetrator.
“Residents feel they have been left to live in a dangerous and frightening situation, with no support and no options.”
A report to the north area panel said: “Residents expressed frustration that the council’s allocation policy doesn’t take into consideration existing residents and the demographics of a block or neighbourhood before housing people with known issues next to them, eg. housing people with a history of anti-social behaviour next to a family with children or elderly people.
“Furthermore, when issues are reported or complaints are made, tenants are made to feel like they’re exaggerating the issue, that they’re ‘just complainers’ and are subsequently treated in ways that makes them feel like they have been blacklisted or fobbed off.”
A written response from the director of housing people services Harry Williams said: “Our housing allocations policy includes robust checks to prevent the allocation of council housing to individuals with a known history of anti-social behaviour.
“Households are assessed on a range of criteria, including any criminal convictions or tenancy breaches.
“Where there is evidence of serious anti-social behaviour, including drug-related offences, households may be deemed ineligible for housing.”
Mr Williams added that breaches of tenancy conditions, such as harassment or criminal activity, could result in “enforcement action”.
The Bristol Estate Leaseholders and Tenants’ Association (BELTA) is piloting regular walk-abouts and has appointed an “estate concierge” which has been effective at reducing drug dealing and fly-tipping.
Tenant reps have asked that a housing official responsible for dealing with anti-social behaviour attends the meeting and they want to know why no action has been taken against the known drug dealer.
Tenancy services operational manager Jan Dowdell said that she could not attend the next meeting but offered to deliver a session on anti-social behaviour with residents’ representatives.
She said that drug dealing and related activity was a potential serious breach of tenancy, adding: “It may appear that we are supporting the perpetrators of anti-social behaviour far more than the victims and reporters.
“To some extent that may be true, but we do so to bring about change and its part of our casework approach expected by our legal services and the court if we require enforcement action.
“We must take a measured approach and response to anti-social behaviour. We do not use enforcement as a last resort but carefully throughout the case.
“In serious and urgent situations such as drug-related activity, we can apply for immediate closure of the premises and this power has proved very effective at reducing harm.
“This approach takes out some of the early intervention steps but we still must present the case with evidence that proves the severity of the situation.”
Tenant reps in central Brighton are expected to complain about a convicted drug dealer housed in Ardingly Court, in High Street, at a meeting on Tuesday 16 September.
The report to the panel said that Ardingly Court was home to several vulnerable people who were now unsafe.
The report said: “The police have conducted several massive raids, causing fear and concern in the whole of Ardingly Court.
“Residents are frightened to go out in the garden, especially once it is dark, and will only do so if they are sure the perpetrator is not about.
“Some residents are worried about reprisals if they complain or speak to the police.
“There are a lot of vulnerable residents at Ardingly Court and this is affecting the safety and security of everyone but particularly those living closest to the perpetrator.
“Residents feel they have been left to live in a dangerous and frightening situation, with no support and no options.”
Central area housing manager John Evans said that the situation was being managed by the council’s complex case team with work under way with police to gather evidence for a closure order.
Mr Evans said: “We know that some residents have been reluctant to engage and we want to acknowledge how difficult it can be to speak out – especially when there are concerns about safety or reprisals.
“At a recent multi-agency meeting attended by housing staff, police, community engagement and other teams, it was agreed that the caseworker will reach out again to residents to see who may feel safe and supported enough to provide a witness statement or keep a diary of incidents.
“The police will increase patrols in the area and share updates with the caseworker to help build a stronger case.”
Here’s a novel idea, if you are running a business without permission from your Council property, either a legal one or an illegal one like drug dealing, you are breaking the terms of your tenancy and deliberately making yourself homeless. Free up a property and no responsibility for the lowlife scum.
Agreed, but it is the courts that tend to block that kind of action from being taken, and if it’s gotten wrong, the council ends up having to pay compensation to the individual. There are definitely more things that can be done earlier on, though, to set up a closure order or eviction.
Seems more like certain tenants know the councils don’t actually do much to stop or deter their activities, and councils oblige by doing not a lot for the rest of the tenants, councils have the powers to evict the problem tenants a lot quicker than they are doing based on non compliance with tenancy agreements to the detriment of others, tax payers included. The Local Media could highlight the problems not just on Facebook, the problem should. e widely exposed, then the problem people can see whar’s coming, can all be done without naming people
A bit of name and shame certainly helps with some aspects of ASB; the article alludes to this as well. And I think interventions lacking punitive teeth only serve to galvanise certain tenants to carry on acting out, as you describe.
I TRIES TO REPORT THINGS TO THE POLICE MYSELF, BUT HAVE NOT HEARD A RESPONSE.
THIS MAKES ME FEEL THAT THE POLICE ARE NOT CONCERNED.
The article says that Colden residents suspect it was suicide. Which means that the headline is quite misleading, as it may not actually be the case.
That’s a very good catch, and absolutely right to flag. Has the cause of death actually been verified by a coroner, or has Sussex Police made any statement? Until then, it seems premature for the article to present it as suicide.
Thanks for making a good point. I’ve amended the headline accordingly.