Report shows council housing frustration in Great Yarmouth
More than half of council housing tenants in the town feel their complaints aren't taken seriously
Last updated 5th Oct 2023
More than half of people living in council housing feel their complaints are not being handled properly, according to a new report.
The latest survey of Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s tenants has shown a drop in satisfaction in almost every category since it was last undertaken in 2019.
Other areas which were of the biggest concern include the handling of anti-social behaviour, safety of their homes, what the neighbourhood is like to live in and communication between the landlord and tenants.
According to the report, 58pc of people were frustrated with how their complaints had been handled while 41pc felt their landlord listened to their concerns.
These categories all fell below the median rate of landlord satisfaction according to House Mark, a company which analyses housing sector data.
Mike Smith-Clare, Labour county councillor for Yarmouth, said:
“It’s obvious that council staff are working hard to help the Borough’s tenants – although problem areas need to be improved.
“I regularly receive concerns from people whose lives are blighted by noisy, inconsiderate and sometimes abusive neighbours.
“For many, these situations have reached boiling point with the police regularly being involved.
“Some tenants feel unsafe and cut adrift – something that doesn’t just need addressing but fully resolved.”
Councillors will consider the action plan to improve tenants’ satisfaction at a cabinet meeting next week.
A Great Yarmouth Borough Council spokesman said:
“This will improve the way we deliver the service to tenants and we are confident that these improvements will have an impact.
“There has been a dip in satisfaction for a number of reasons, with the legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis all having an effect.
“We know there is always more we can do to improve satisfaction with the landlord service and the council is committed to doing so.”