Thursday, June 08, 2006
Press Release
NO LIFTS, NO WATER, NO LIGHTS
Tenants in Maryhill take action!
Angry and bemused tenants in Cedar Court who woke up to find both their lifts off, fire escape lighting broken and water not running, hung banners from their verandas in protest. The lifts are over 20 years old and are regularly not working. Last year Cedar Tenants Association was formed after a lift in the middle block remained out-of-order for four and half months, leaving half the tenants with compromised access to their own homes.
"This is scandalous! We weren't told what happened. We weren't told when it was getting fixed. The intercoms were out as well so couldn't buzz to find out what was happening either," said Graham, a tenant in the block.
The breakdown of both lifts simultaneously, the water supply cut off, and the lighting black out in the fire escape came just two weeks after Cedar Tenants Association published an electrical engineers report which listed a catalogue of repairs and sent into the housing association landlord. The report alleges the "entire site presents an appearance of dereliction of duty and would seem to be without properly organised maintenance. Urgent work is required to render the site fit for purpose and put in place the mechanisms to efficaciously manage maintenance issues in the future." GHA is yet to make any response to the report.
"The landlord is legally required to ensure that tenants are living in accommodation that is windproof and water tight and otherwise in a habitable condition" (From Statute)
The lifts were finally fixed at 4 o'clock, after being off all day, but residents are concerned about when they will break down next. GHA have refused to give any compensation or rent rebates for any of the times that the lifts have been off. Nor will they give a definite timetable for their replacement.
Tenants in Maryhill take action!
Angry and bemused tenants in Cedar Court who woke up to find both their lifts off, fire escape lighting broken and water not running, hung banners from their verandas in protest. The lifts are over 20 years old and are regularly not working. Last year Cedar Tenants Association was formed after a lift in the middle block remained out-of-order for four and half months, leaving half the tenants with compromised access to their own homes.
"This is scandalous! We weren't told what happened. We weren't told when it was getting fixed. The intercoms were out as well so couldn't buzz to find out what was happening either," said Graham, a tenant in the block.
The breakdown of both lifts simultaneously, the water supply cut off, and the lighting black out in the fire escape came just two weeks after Cedar Tenants Association published an electrical engineers report which listed a catalogue of repairs and sent into the housing association landlord. The report alleges the "entire site presents an appearance of dereliction of duty and would seem to be without properly organised maintenance. Urgent work is required to render the site fit for purpose and put in place the mechanisms to efficaciously manage maintenance issues in the future." GHA is yet to make any response to the report.
"The landlord is legally required to ensure that tenants are living in accommodation that is windproof and water tight and otherwise in a habitable condition" (From Statute)
The lifts were finally fixed at 4 o'clock, after being off all day, but residents are concerned about when they will break down next. GHA have refused to give any compensation or rent rebates for any of the times that the lifts have been off. Nor will they give a definite timetable for their replacement.
