Bleach Green residents letters to Choice

Dessie Rogan Bleach Green Court 12 Whiterock Grove Belfast BT14 8QA Dawn Purvis Head of Corporate Affairs Choice Housing Association 37-41 May Street Belfast BT1 4DN Dear Ms Purvis, I am a resident of Bleach Green Court, and have been for quite a number of years. Therefore, I think it puts me in a position to tell you the story of hot water. I have been selected by the rest of the tenants to write to you.

When the issue of central heating came around we had a meeting with Choice, and they asked us what kind of heating we would prefer. Unanimously, all tenants ruled out community heating and there is a petition to prove this.

The architect told us that it was impossible to put boilers in the flats, as there was no outlet for fumes. He reiterated this on many occasions citing the fact of losing two young boys in Castlerock who died of poisoning and Public Health would not allow it.

I have worked in construction all my life and had up to forty men below me, and this is total hogwash. I had him in my flat and others, showing him how this could be done easily, but to no avail.

Since then the heating system has been a total disaster. The number of times it has broken down are countless and as you probably know from your records, the company Fusion have been out on site nearly every day for the past few months.

We have sent petition after petition with all 32 tenants’ signatures. However, this is falling on deaf ears, so I am writing to you again to tell you the system is not working and the solution to this is individual boilers in each flat. Our own meter and payment card. We already know this can be done.

We request that you visit our home as soon as possible, and see for yourself what improvements need to be made to protect our housing rights.

We look forward to hearing your response to this letter.

Yours faithfully, Dessie Rogan

Eddie Higgins Bleach Green Court 12 Whiterock Grove Belfast BT14 8QA Dawn Purvis Head of Corporate Affairs Choice Housing Association 37-41 May Street Belfast BT1 4DN Dear Ms Purvis, I am writing on behalf of the residents and myself regarding the issues and ongoing problems at Bleach Green Court, for a few years now. These problems have come about because of Choice Housings lack of management and the ex-coordinator putting Choice Housing before the residents’ rights and needs. It is therefore no surprise these issues and problems have arisen.

It seems that Choice Housing is more concerned about the building than the residents. This year during COVID no one from Choice contacted any of the residents or showed any concern for the elderly residents until we went to the media. We have been left to clean all areas of the development ourselves including mopping floor etc., in a bid to ensure that the spread of COVID amongst residents is reduced.

These residents have had to pay for cleaning staff to come in and ensure all communal areas of the housing development have high levels of infection control and have done the best in keeping the virus at bay. These residents have done an amazing job in ensuring everyone’s safety within the building.

It is their basic human right to have issues within this development resolved as a matter of urgency to ensure the continued health and safety of all residents, some who are more vulnerable as they are elderly.

I am going to list the numerous problems within Bleach Green Court. The local management team within Choice Housing are aware of these issues; however, I feel it is necessary that I reiterate these.

As you may be aware these have also been raised with the local Sinn Fein office, the Housing Minister, PPR Project and the media. We look forward to hearing your response in relation to resolving these issues.

Heating This has been a long-standing complaint of all residents. We have sent numerous complaints and orrespondence raising concern regarding this, as the heating is not fit for purpose. After we went to the media the heating was put on continuously (24 hrs per day) and we still encountered problems.

The boiler turned itself off and heating stopped in flats. It was noted that the communal heating is not on the way it used to be. If the heating is on in individual flats then it is off in communal areas.

This is not a solution, as it causes isolation to individuals who are already vulnerable. Residents need to control their own heating in apartments. This can only happen with their own individual boiler.

Engineers we have brought in on many occasions have told us that this would be the solution to the problem.

Bin Rooms The bin rooms are a health and safety hazard. When bins are emptied on a Friday these are brought back into the bin room without having been washed. Some of the bins are not emptied at all, for example when some elderly residents have put the rubbish in the wrong bin.

There is also no safe sanitary disposal for adult nappies. These are toxic and should not be left in the bins or within resident’s flats. There is photographic evidence of the bin room sent to the PPR Project. It is the right of all to live in a building free of human waste and disease, so we hope and pray together we can fix this problem.

Quiet Room & Storage Areas There is a big problem with residents being denied access to our quiet room and some storage rooms. We as residents are denied the right to access these rooms which we pay for but CHOICE staff and family members have had access and come and go as they please.

We would be grateful if this issue could be sorted as soon as possible. Give our rooms back, thank you.

The Building itself Bleach Green Court is about 30 years old. The inside of the building needs refurbished and needs modernised.

The carpet in the hallways needs redone, as over the years elderly residents, through no fault of their own, have walked human excrement into the carpet. This has not been replaced and has only been cleaned and patched up. The interior needs painted and brightened up. This would greatly improve the mental health of the residents, and give them pride and pleasure in the place that they call home.

There is also an issue with the communal lounge. It is outdated and looks more like a waiting room in an old person’s home and not an area for residents to meet and chat. The furniture in this area needs updated. Hospital chairs are not suited to everyone and lends to the idea that the residents are in a hospital or nursing home environment.

A more modernised area and comfortable furniture is a necessity for the residents to make their home a home and not to be isolated to their own flat.

The benches outside the building also need replaced, as they are rotten. In recent weeks, the residents have tried to brighten the building up taking on the gardening tasks – ordering top soil, fixing the rose beds and adding hanging baskets to the outside of the building.

They have put their own money into this, when they should not have to. I would ask that all monies be reimbursed to the residents, as this should be the responsibility of the landlord.

We request that you visit our home as soon as possible, and see for yourself what improvements need to be made to protect our housing rights.

Yours faithfully, Eddie Higgins

Felix Brennan Bleach Green Court 12 Whiterock Grove Belfast BT14 8QA Dawn Purvis Head of Corporate Affairs Choice Housing Association 37-41 May Street Belfast BT1 4DN Dear Ms Purvis, I am writing to you on behalf of the residents of Bleach Green Court.

The bin room is not fit for purpose. Most tenants object to the size and location of these rooms.

Nappy bins are also contained in this area, which is an infection control issue as they can be toxic to residents. There are occasions when residents have an infectious illness and this could be passed to other residents, when these items are not disposed of correctly.

These bin rooms smell continuously and this passes through the building to the flats. There have also been incidents of infestations from insects and vermin, which again is hazardous to residents.

The storage rooms are continually locked and we do not have access to them. An employee of Choice appears to have sole right to these rooms and currently the cleaning store next to my room is being used as a paint store. This is a health and safety hazard and in breach of fire regulations, as there would be no access for me to escape. When the maintenance officer was informed of this, I was told that it is a fire door. I have never seen a fire door with vents in it.

On behalf of the tenants, solutions discussed and noted below: • • •

Refuse areas could be built outside of the building – there is a large area at the side of the building that would be perfect to provide an enclosed area for bins.

Individuals using nappy bins should have access to sanitary bins that are regularly changed.

These can be placed in the toilets within the building.

Storage areas returned to the tenants and of course, the library & quiet room given back as a place for individuals to be able to relax and get a change of scenery.

We request that you visit our home as soon as possible, and see for yourself what improvements need to be made to protect our housing rights.

Yours faithfully,

Felix Brennan

Phil Larkin Bleach Green Court 12 Whiterock Grove Belfast BT14 8QA Dawn Purvis Head of Corporate Affairs Choice Housing Association 37-41 May Street Belfast BT1 4DN

Dear Ms Purvis, As a resident of Bleach Green Court myself, and speaking on behalf of the residents of Bleach Green Court, I wish to submit a list of grievances submitted to me by aforementioned residents to Choice Housing Association in regard to: 1.

2.

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4.

Payments for heating costs Clarification of bills Non-refunds when residents are in credit An explanation of why our heating costs have been paid to the Housing Executive in lieu of rent arrears which are non-existent 5. Why we can’t have gas boilers and a payment meter of our own, thus allowing us to monitor our own usage and pay directly to a gas company.

1. Payments for heating costs We realise that a tariff is set by Choice Association regarding a service charge for every resident in Bleach Green Court, but we also recognise that some residents will use more gas/hot water than others and shouldn’t have to pay for services they don’t use or need.

2. Clarification of bills There doesn’t appear to be one CHOICE person who fully understands the bill when it comes to us.

One week we will be in credit, the next we’re in arrears, which throws residents into a panic as they can’t understand how this can happen, so they go and pay the arrears. This ties in with the next grievance.

3. Non-payment of credit Some residents have been in credit as much as several hundred pounds. This hasn’t shown up on their bills, and only came to light when residents queried their bills. I would like to point out here that when I received a phone call from the Choice Housing Officer regarding heating problems in my own apartment, it was revealed to me that I too was in credit. Although I haven’t received any refund. It seems that Choice only pay this credit back when residents demand it. The Housing Officer also tried to convince me that there was “nothing underhand going on.” I beg to differ. If a resident is in credit it should be paid back, not withheld.

4. Payment to the Housing Executive When I first moved into my apartment, my service charge was paid on a rent payment card, and this was the same for all residents. When this was queried it came to light that rather than pay us back, the credit we had accumulated on our heating charges, this was instead paid to the Housing Executive in lieu of rent arrears. With the exception of one or maybe two residents paying full rent themselves, the majority of residents are on Housing Benefit, so aren’t in arrears with their rent.

Where did this money go?

5. Our own boilers, and Pay-as-you-go meters This would be a way of resolving our current crisis regarding the above grievances. Having our own boilers and payment meters would do away with bills we can’t understand. We would always be in credit because we get gas we have prepaid for, and we would be paying directly to a gas company.

We request that you visit our home as soon as possible, and see for yourself what improvements need to be made to protect our housing rights.

Yours faithfully Phil Larkin