Welcome to this summer edition of Housing News. I am so glad that we have made it through the winter to at least some sunshine. I hope that those of you who joined us at the Resident’s Conference on 11 June enjoyed the day, back in person.

With rising inflation and the cost of living crisis unfolding I wanted to let all residents know that the Housing Service wants to hear from you if you are struggling to pay your rent or service charges.

If you are a tenant please call the First Stage Team 020 8708 7676 or email First Stage Rent Recovery. If you are a leaseholder please call 0208 708 7606 or email Home Ownership

Please do not bury your head in the sand, our teams are here to help you, they can refer you to sources of help including the Household Support Fund. There is also this page of useful information and links on the website Redbridge - Advice on managing your money.

The Council has been through some changes recently with the election of a new Council on 5 and 27 May, Mayfield ward had to be delayed following the sad death of one of the candidates. All the results are in now and the Council remains a Labour controlled Council with 58 Labour and 5 Conservative members. Cllr Athwal remains the Leader and Cllr Solanki remains the Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness.

The Council also has a new Chief Executive, Clare Symonds. Claire is a Redbridge resident who grew up in the Borough, went to school and started her career here. The Leader of Redbridge Council, Councillor Jas Athwal, said, “Claire will bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the role, her strong ties to our Borough complement her impressive skillset and I am looking forward to working with her to continue to deliver for our neighbours across Redbridge.”

Our new Chief Executive has more than 30 years’ experience in Local Government.  Most recently, she worked at Barking and Dagenham Council as Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer, before taking on her current role as Acting Chief Executive during the height of the pandemic.

Carol Hinvest, Operational Director of Housing

MCM Live is a new development that allows our customers to interact with us digitally using text messaging to assist with managing repair appointments. Click here for a demo. 

How can customers access MCM Live:

MCM Live is accessed via a link contained within the text message that is sent to customers to inform them about their booked appointment.

What can MCM Live be used for?

• Customers can add the appointment to their own phone diary
• Customers can upload a photo that relates to their repair
• Customers can reschedule their current booked appointment date and time
• Customers can access a live map, showing when the operative will arrive
• Customers can see the name and photo of the operative attending before they arrive at the door
• Customers can send and receive messages directly to the operative, using the link

If you are threatened with or facing homelessness, getting in touch with our Housing Team is now even easier with the introduction of our new online contact form. It's easy to use and we aim to respond to all queries within 48 hours of receiving your form, Monday to Friday, between the hours of 9am to 5pm.  

Talk to us about a wide range of matters online including concerns about losing your home or issues with landlords.

  To access the form, visit our site here If you are homeless now, call 0208 708 4002

As a leaseholder, you have the right to sublet your property. However, before you sublet, you must register the subletting with us. You will need to send the following information to the Home Ownership Team:

• a signed subletting form
• a certified copy of the tenancy agreement
• your new address
• the names of your tenants and a contact number
• a registration fee (details of our fees and charges can be found at www.redbridge.gov.uk)

• a gas safety certificate (CP12)
• an energy performance certificate

You must pay a registration fee before you sublet. Even though you are not living in the property, you are still responsible for making sure your tenants keep to the conditions of the lease. If your tenants break the conditions of the lease, you will be responsible. We recommend that your tenancy agreement with your tenants covers all the obligations in your lease.

Subletting may alter the terms and conditions of your buildings insurance so you must tell us and the insurance company. Failure to advise the council and or insurance company may result in your buildings insurance becoming invalid or could affect any subsequent insurance claim.

Redbridge uses a variety of tools, such as mediation, interviews and warnings, which provide a balance between preventative measures and enforcement sanctions to stop anti-social behaviour.

We will investigate your complaint confidentially and will only contact the person you are complaining about, or other agencies such as the police, with your consent.  

To investigate and take action against people who cause anti-social behaviour, we must gather evidence; the best type of evidence is eyewitness reports from the person experiencing or witnessing the behaviour. We will usually ask you to keep a detailed anti-social behaviour incident diary to record incidents as they happen.

Contact us at housing.enquiries@redbridge.gov.uk for more information, to report a problem or to request an anti-social behaviour incident diary.

The easiest way to make payment for housing services is online, on the Redbridge Council website.

A list of services can be found on the following link:

https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/housing/council-tenants-and-leaseholders/service-charges-and-fees/

Please remember that payments made by cheques can sometimes result in a delay in reaching accounts. Any cheques sent to us should be sent to:

Scanning Section, LBR 1st Floor, Lynton House 255-259 High Road Ilford IG1 1NN  

If you are struggling to pay your rent, the Rent Recovery Team will be able to advise you on the following:

• Funding that may be available to support you, including, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) and the Household Support Fund (HSF)
• Redbridge Citizens Advice support

The support services listed below can be accessed online at www.redbridge.gov.uk please search the topic you require (e.g. Debt Advice)

• Debt Advice
• Welfare Benefit Advice
• Family Support Services
• Support with mental health issues
• Drug and Alcohol Misuse

We have stepped up our fight against fly-tipping with a new web page dedicated to identifying culprits caught on camera dumping trash on the borough’s streets.

The Redbridge ‘Wall of Shame’ shares CCTV footage of people discarding their rubbish illegally in the borough.

If you are able to identify any of the culprits caught on camera contact Redbridge Council on: 

Cleansing.Services@redbridge.gov.uk 

The country is amidst of a cost-of-living crisis; prices are rising at unprecedented rates for energy, food, fuel and more, which is having a significant impact on household finances. Many households are struggling to pay for essential costs, including rent.

If you are facing financial difficulties and struggling to pay for your essential costs please contact us on 0208 708 7676 and we will work closely with you, and if relevant, local organisations to ensure you receive the support you need.

Citizens Advice have also published useful guidance on what to do if you are struggling with living costs and grants and benefits to help you pay your energy bills.

This information can be accessed on their website, www.citizensadvice.org.uk by using the text above in bold in the search box. Alternatively, you can contact their Adviceline on 0800 144 8848 or their Consumer Advice Helpline on 0808 223 1133 to receive advice on your situation.