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Residents battle with Stadium housing
By Sarah Brubeck
Airco Close residents are in the midst of a two-year fight with Stadium Housing after their electricity and water were turned off for the third time since November.
Residents of the flats on Edgeware Road, Brent gathered June 18 to express their frustration and list their deficits to baffled Stadium employees while MP Barry Gardiner facilitated the meeting.
Roz Spencer, chief executive of Stadium Housing Association, left the meeting crying as frustrated residents walked out feeling like their questions weren't answered.
Leo Ho, flat 13 resident said: "There were no answers.
"The only answer we got was we'd have a meeting in one month.
"We don't know when this meeting will be, and we haven't heard anything."
On June 16, electricity was shut off for two hours while the water was shut off for 12 hours, a repeat of incidents from May and November in which power and water were out for up to 48 hours.
Mr Ho said: "For 12 hours we hadn't even heard from Stadium.
"We can't do anything about the water, all we can do is sit at home."
Residents moved into Aircos about three years ago, and they claim they have been treated unfairly since day one.
Several residents at the meeting claimed they are living in one or two bedroom flats, but paying as much or more than others living in larger flats.
All residents are flustered that they pay the same water bill though some of them only have one resident and others have up to eight.
Sean Greenham, flat three resident, hand delivered letters to Stadium on several occasions, but at the meeting Ms Spencer claimed she never received these letters.
Mr Greenham said: "Everyone was sick and tired of writing letters to Stadium that I delivered.
"The executive said she was totally oblivious to me delivering them.
"She was clueless."
After not receiving responses, Mr Greenham contacted Mr Gardner, and they met on April 20.
Though Mr Greenham and Mr Ho are both grateful to Mr Gardner, they are still concerned that it took two months to organise the June 18 meeting.
Mr Greenham said: "I think (the problems) will get fixed because now we have the local MP involved.
"This will get sorted, but it's one story after another.
"I don't see this going away for ages."
However, Ms Spencer said in an interview Tuesday that Stadium Housing is finalizing a detailed action plan that was compiled the morning after the meeting.
Ms Spencer said: "I'm not saying everything will get done in the next month, but we'll start.
"The key thing is to make the living environment comfortable for everyone."
The meeting in a month will consult the residents on what has been done and Stadium's upcoming plans.
However, the residents are taking matters into their own hands by meeting with Tribunal on June 30 to apply for a reimbursement for service charges.
Mr Gardner said: "It's a shame it takes a meeting like this to get a commitment.
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Hammersmith&Kensington
Times News |
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