Council re-homing was cause of stress

1:19pm Tuesday 14th September 2004

RESIDENTS suffered from stress and ill-health after being moved by the council, according to a survey.

The Pepys Estate, in Deptford, has seen residents being moved from their homes into new housing association properties since 1999.

As part of the decanting process the independently funded Tenants' Actions Group (TAG) has interviewed more than 200 residents between July 2003 and August 2004 about their experiences of moving or preparing to move.

The survey showed that 94 per cent found re-housing to be "extremely stressful or difficult" and 79 per cent felt their health had been effected.

TAG secretary Malcolm Cadman said: "The survey shows that this upheaval of people's lives is being handled badly.

"Officers just look at people's circumstances and apply an inhuman formula which rarely meets their needs."

He said many people are stressed because they often have no idea when their move is happening or what type of property they will receive.

Teressa Kargbo, 37, a resident of Marlow House who is waiting to move, said: "My life is on hold waiting for them while we wait to see if they listen to our problems.

"So many people are being made stressed and unhappy by all this - I've been pushed to the limit."

The survey is not all bad news for Lewisham Council with 58 per cent of relocated residents saying they are happy with their new home.

Deputy mayor Councillor Gavin Moore says Lewisham Council fully appreciates the impact that the decanting process can have on tenants, but that allocation is made on the basis of need.

He added that a dedicating decanting officer contact all tenants who are given an information pack a home loss payments of £3,400.

Mr Cadman said: "The pain and aggravation people have gone through is endless.

"It has not got any better over five years and you would have thought they would have learnt something from this."

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