Norwich City Council one of the worst for social housing

The authority was slammed by a city councillor for putting “lives at risk” when a report released by a public body Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS), rated City Hall "poorly" in comparison to other councils around the UK.

It found that between April 2023 and March 2024, Norwich City Council paid out more than £11,000 in compensation to tenants who had suffered from issues with below-standard properties, poorly handled complaints and reports of anti-social behaviour.

A spokesman for Norwich City Council has apologised to anyone impacted by the issues highlighted in the report and promised that they are "actively working to improve housing conditions" in the city including improving the way complaints are managed.

THE FINDINGS

The HOS is a public body and a free service for council tenants which makes the final decision on disagreements between residents and landlords.

City Hall has paid more than £11,000 in compensation over the last year (Image: Newsquest)

According to their findings, reports of “inefficient or dishonest administration or mismanagement" have risen fivefold from five to 26.

Compensation payouts have also risen, from £2,100 to £11,125, with more than £5,000 of this sum awarded to tenants because of the condition of the home they have been placed into.

While only eight improvement orders were made by the HOS to Norwich City Council in 2022 and 2023, 55 were made in the following year.

However, Norwich City Council has one of the biggest stocks of social housing in the country, with 17,609 homes under its jurisdiction, which could impact the number of complaints it has to deal with compared to other authorities. 

"LIVES ARE AT RISK"

Deputy leader of the Green Group and shadow cabinet member for housing, Alex Catt, has said that councillors across the city regularly take on cases from "mistreated" council tenants and have to fight to get them the repairs they need.

Cllr Alex Catt (Image: Denise Bradley) He explained: "These can range from basic issues to damp and mould covering entire properties, properties infested with rats, homes lacking a properly functioning front door or residents with severe medical issues feeling trapped in inappropriate properties while the council refuses to rehome them.

"The council is putting lives at risk.

"Having raised these concerns last year, and on many occasions since then, it is incredibly disappointing that not only has the Labour-run council’s ability to resolve issues for its tenants has got worse, but its failings have grown exponentially.

"In the short term, Green councillors are seeking an urgent meeting with the cabinet member about the treatment of tenants and we are calling for this matter to be referred to the cross-party scrutiny committee at the council.

"However, it is clear that the Labour-run council has lost control of this issue.

"With over 17,000 properties, it is high time that the council establishes a housing scrutiny committee with tenant representatives so that a light can be shone on these issues all year round and to ensure that tenants' voices are at the heart of decision-making."

WHAT DOES CITY HALL SAY?

A spokesman for Norwich City Council said that they are "actively working" to improve housing conditions around Norwich and have already been making improvements since the report came to light.

A spokesman at City Hall has apologised (Image: Newsquest)

He said: "We would like to apologise to anyone impacted by the issues highlighted in the National Housing Ombudsman’s report and acknowledge the distress caused to some tenants by the way their complaints were handled.

"We are committed to learning from these legacy cases, which occurred during a time when our housing service was facing significant challenges.

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"Since then, we have made strides in improving the delivery of our housing service and the way complaints are managed, ensuring a more effective and tenant-focused approach. Minimising housing-related complaints and responding promptly and helpfully to tenants’ concerns is a key priority for us.

"The Ombudsman’s report will be considered by Cabinet at its meeting on 11 December, where it is already on the forward plan. A recommendation will be made for this matter to be included in the scrutiny committee’s forward work programme, subject to the committee’s approval.

"Our goal remains to support all tenants in living safe and comfortable lives in their homes. We are actively working to improve housing conditions and ensure that every tenant receives the standard of service they deserve."