Anti Social Behaviour Worry in Housing Schemes

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 8th Sep 2003

The recently published annual report of the local leading social landlord, Richmond Housing Partnership, includes a survey showing that 49% of residents regard anti social behaviour and fear of crime as their main concerns. 210 cases of anti social behaviour by tenants have been reported and 350 warning letters issued. (There have been 4 acceptable behaviour contracts, 1 anti social behaviour contract; 1 injunction and 1 eviction resulting from these.)

Vincent Cable MP for Twickenham

Vincent Cable, MP, said: "The RHP report confirms what some of us have seen at first hand that there is serious concern about anti social behaviour on social housing schemes. Within the last few weeks I have been asked to help mobilise a stronger police presence to deter vandals from the Brunswick Close area of Twickenham, in Teddington and the 'Feltham Triangle' in Whitton - a North British Housing scheme - and there are serious problems elsewhere with individual tenants showing extremely threatening behaviour towards their neighbours that RHP is trying to resolve through court action and eviction".

"I welcome the more proactive policies of Richmond Housing Partnership - though some of the other social landlords are less active. But there are two main problems. First, the council makes some seriously ill advised tenancy allocations to the housing scheme and in particular placing single men with a history of alcohol or drug abuse or serious mental illness

amongst groups of pensioners - causing enormous frictions."

"'Vulnerable' people do need help and support, preferably in 'halfway houses', supervised accommodation, but simply leaving them among tenants who see them as threatening is unhelpful to everyone."

"Second the courts continue to make it difficult for the social landlords to evict for anti social behaviour in all but the most extreme cases. This is an issue which the government has to address through the law officers and the justice system".