70% of council homes not in a 'decent' state

TENANTS WAIT YEARS AND YEARS FOR NEW KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

- ALEXANDER BROCK Local Democracy Reporter

BIRMINGHAM City Council has been urged to 'do its job properly' amid claims tenants have been waiting several years for much-needed works in their homes.

The Labour-run authority was recently accused of failing its tenants after it was revealed around 40,000 bathrooms and kitchens needed replacing.

It said last month that it needed to undertake "unprecedented levels of investment" in its housing stock over the next seven years to fully comply with the decent homes standard.

The government benchmark states all social housing should be in a reasonable state of repair and have reasonably modern facilities.

But according to government-appointed commissioners at the council, around 70% of the council's housing stock is currently "non-decent".

In response, the council pledged the situation would dramatically improve as a result of a huge investment being made a significant proportion of which was being directed towards kitchen and bathroom replacement programmes.

But council tenants have described their growing frustration after waiting years and years for their old and "revolting" rooms to be replaced.