Wave of complaints and concerns over the standard of living and repairs being undertaken by housing association in Daventry

Futures Housing is being criticised for the care, service and standard of repairs to its housing in Daventry.

Some residents living in social housing in the town now want to claim compensation for the anxiety and stress their housing situation has caused over many years.

Rachel Westell, who has been battling repairs and leaks for over 10 years with Futures Housing, said: “I have been reporting huge leaks to both front and back bedrooms where I was getting up in the night to change buckets and jugs which I had been using to catch the water.

“I was told it was a gutter issue and then told it was a cracked tile. Workmen were sent in but I would still get water in the inside of my walls upstairs.

“Eventually in 2021 the roof was replaced. When workmen were here they said the insulation was completely sodden and the battens totally soaked through.

"The plaster was coming away everywhere. But even when the scaffolding went up I had concerns about the work, the bars were all placed in front of my upstairs windows and I couldn’t open any of the windows for the whole time they were here.

“I’ve had new guttering, tiles, roof, fascias, cladding, plastering and decorating and this has taken over my life for years now. My home smells damp all of the time and I dread seeing black clouds as I know the rain will come in again.

“I have spent so much time and money decorating to make this a home for myself and lots of this work as been ruined by the leaks I am getting.”

This newspaper contacted the housing association - which claims on its website: ‘Our vision is to create great places, great services and great tomorrows’.

A spokesman for Futures Housing said: “Miss Westell’s home has presented some repair challenges for Futures, which has unfortunately meant ongoing issues over a long period of time at her property. We do most sincerely apologise for this and for the inconvenience this has caused for Miss Westell.

“We’re confident that the roof leak has been resolved and decorators have been scheduled to complete the final works.

"We do want to compensate Miss Westell and we’re currently in discussions to hopefully arrive at an offer that is acceptable to all.”

Rachel isn’t the only resident that has long standing issues. There have been many complaints added to Facebook where residents have described leaks and dampness.

Comments have included: “black mould and leaky windows’, ‘we’ve been waiting for new windows, window frames, and new front and back door since before lockdown’, ‘my home is water-logged,’ and ‘drops coming from the bedroom window’.

Aliecha Berry is also a resident with significant leaks in accommodation managed by Futures Housing.

Aliecha said: “I have had numerous repairs over the years and I am still having issues. We currently have a leak that runs directly underneath our wet room through to our kitchen light, with water now pouring through the light fitting.

“This has been a problem for over a year. On our latest call about it, we were told to just turn the electric off in the kitchen.

“Last October my front porch collapsed, all my windows in the house are blown, I have no downstairs hallway radiator and exposed wiring upstairs.”

When asked about the problems Aliecha is facing, Futures Housing’s said: “We are awaiting quotes to complete the repairs to her porch so that project is underway.

"We have inspected the bathroom and not found any safety issues but we will be upgrading it as part of routine, planned maintenance within the next two years. If there have been changes since our last visit we can of course take another look and see if more urgent work is needed.

“Staff inspected the electrics in the kitchen today and a socket that the customer had installed as part of their own kitchen refurbishment has been disconnected due to safety concerns (with their permission).

"Someone will be returning to look at the water leak through the light socket as soon as possible – we did not previously have a report of this problem so were unaware of it.”

Residents needing to call Futures Housing have also commented on issues about the time it takes to get through to speak to someone.

One resident claims to have spent more than £50 in telephone costs since needing to be in touch with them over her leaks.

Other comments included: “I was told I was going to get a phone call back, 48 hours and I am still waiting” and “I have tried contacting Futures Homes but they just don’t answer their phones.”

The housing association added: “We’re aware of multiple Facebook posts on a local Daventry Group concerning Futures and we’re disappointed to see the number of issues that our customers have raised. We’re attempting to contact everyone who’s commented, so we can better understand their situation and will be looking to resolve their issues as a priority.

“We hope all our customers know they can contact us, no matter how big or small their query may be. If our phone lines are busy we have a call-back facility that holds their place in the queue, so they don’t have to stay on the line.”