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Residents’ representatives have criticised Brighton and Hove’s housing team for failing to act robustly on complaints about anti-social behaviour.
The comments were made by residents from three council estates in central Brighton at a housing management panel meeting.
Officers were presenting a draft “hate crime” policy which is currently subject to a public consultation on the Your Voice section of the council’s website.
New rules for social housing, which includes council homes and housing associations, took effect in April, requiring Brighton and Hove City Council to have a policy for dealing with “hate incidents”.
These include instances of people treating someone differently because of their race, religion, gender or gender identity, disability or sexuality.
Craven Vale residents’ representative Lee Catt told the meeting yesterday (Tuesday 17 September) how he had experienced prejudice from housing officers when reporting issues.
Mr Catt said: “My concerns is it’s the officers involved who are failing to enact these policies which has been upheld by the Housing Ombudsman in my case.
“If officers of the council are not doing it then this policy is absolutely useless. Unless something is done when officers repeatedly fail to uphold council policy and procedures and within the workplace are reprimanded for doing this, this will continue.”
When people complain, they are becoming victims twice, he said.
Mr Catt supported his neighbours when a “nightmare” tenant moved into his block, terrorising people living in the area.
Craven Vale experienced years of issues with drug dealers moved into flats resulting in anti-social behaviour. The nightmare neighbour’s flat was closed after Sussex Police became involved, Mr Catt said.
The council’s head of tenancy services and acting assistant director for housing management Justine Harris said “The important thing is you’re feeding it back.
“We’ve made a lot of changes to do with anti-social behaviour. (We have had) a lot of training. We are really committed to change.”
Emma Salcombe, who co-chairs the panel and represents Essex Point, in Montague Street, Brighton, said that the council needed to treat people causing anti-social behaviour equally even if the person disrupting their neighbours’ lives was disabled.
She said: “We see so many more people causing the anti-social behaviour and hate crimes are those who have some form of disability, mental health issues and things like that.
“My feelings go out to them but there comes a point when you have to say: ‘Ok, no matter what your conditions are, we’ve worked with you.’
“You’ve got to hold them to the same accountability as others.”
Housing manager John Evans said that the council’s action had to be proportionate. He said: “We make sure that support is in place and we’ve done proper interventions and followed proper procedures and the law.
“Otherwise action would be dismissed by a judge and the last thing we want to do is get to court and be in a worst position than before.”
Hampshire Court resident representative Martin Cunningham said that he and his neighbours felt as though the council “rewards” anti-social behaviour after a “prolific drug dealer” was given a secure tenancy.
Mr Cunningham said: “The council doesn’t have a clue on how to deal with anti-social behaviour. It never has. I’ve worked on at least 20 cases in the last 15 years. The council’s useless.”
Fellow Hampshire Court resident Bob Thompson said that the council often chose the “easy opt out” of rehousing the victims.
Mr Evans said that the victims needed support but soe situations were difficult. He said that there were “robust measures” in place to ensure people had “points of contact” and mitigation in place.
The public consultation on the draft hate incident policy for housing is open on the Your Voice section of the council’s website until Monday 11 November.
People can respond online or contact housing customer services on 01273 293030 or email housing.customerservices@brighton-hove.gov.uk.
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