Learning Needs Tenant Bullied by Landlord
Glad to Have a Home, But is He Happy? Is he Safe?
I met a man on the bus two days ago. He was small, slight and very thin. He looked worn out and tired. Would probably be in late 50s and getting near to retirement age, he was quite bright but from his presentation would have been put in the “learning needs” and vulnerable person social category by outside observances. But never judge a book by the cover.
He talked about the pier and what was happening to it. Talked about the disappointment that there was only one main building on it that looked like a gun turret or a march to the scaffold. We decided which local councilors should be marched up first, and small half of an original building. Nothing really except wind and rain the open elements and a few children’s rides. If you did want an ice cream or refreshments there was nowhere to hide if the elements were rough or it as cold. Talked about the money and where it has gone into the pier.
He also suddenly opened up and said that he used to live along the front of the town. It had had a fire and he was now in a hostel awaiting rehousing, or further homelessness.
For years he lived with an abusive nasty landlord who kept him in abysmal conditions and bullied him constantly. Told him how he hated him and people like him and aggressively would jab him in the face and even physically shove, punch and assault him.
He had to put up with it, as he had no power or rights and social services and support were not interested. It was terrible, he said and was clearly affected.
He immediately reminded me of all the years I had to live in a water damaged unsafe flat in one corner of living room with electrics cutting out and giving me shock every day for years and ceiling falling down, and all I had was intimidation and fear if I raised it. It dug home again, just how important it is for vulnerable people to be safe and be in a safe home away from bullying, abuse and fear. And therefore this issue needs to keep being brought up and highlighted.
It was not very nice where he was but it was better from where he had come from and he hoped for the best. He had put in a bid for a self contained flat in a large local sheltered accommodation complex. I wished him the best and hoped he would get it. While going through my own time of living in unsafe damaged home with a threatening, intimidating landlord and his property agent who just threatened me that I could always be on the streets as an alternative and with no support or help or rights I have met other people in the same position.
Often in a social disadvantage and this used to the max for the landlord to cause them to live in unfit conditions and be able to threaten and bully them. Again, council turns a blind eye, social services and support workers work with the abuser, and the tenant and vulnerable disabled person has no rights or access to law or true representation. It is a landlord/tenant issue, a disrepair and unfit living conditions issue yet it is turned over to counselling the tenant and giving relaxation or diversion activities such as art, reiki, aromatherapy, trips to the zoo or garden centre. Totally ignoring the basic rights denied him, a safe home, safe environment, safe community and the right not to be threatened, intimidated or even suffer physical assault or even sexual exploitation because they are in a lower social position.
I hope he finds good accommodation and I hope he gets into the sheltered accommodation that he wants. He needs a quiet life after all those years of stress and abuse. But then he should never have suffered that. But then nobody cares, who does?
This is how we live. This is how the council can turn a blind eye, social services can be apathetic and complacent and even collude and side with the abuser against their own client and their client’s interests, and even rights in law.
Housing is so difficult for learning needs that social services and support workers are so please and glad to get someone in somewhere they can tend to let and tell the person to put up with anything for sake of having somewhere to live. Learning Needs and vulnerable are at the mercy of unscrupulous landlords
What shall we do to change it?
Regards
Admin
