A call for the board of Glasgow Housing Association to be sacked was made last month at a housing conference in Pollokshaws Burgh Hall by an ex-Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) Board Member.

Colin Deans, who is a GHA tenant and served on the Board of Scotland’s largest housing association, described it as ‘not fit for purpose’ and ‘off the rails and going in the wrong direction’.

Mr Deans said, ‘I’m angry, mad and passionate about this. The GHA is taking money but tenants are not getting good service nor getting their views across.’

Mr Deans added, ‘They’re forcing people in poverty to live in poor housing.’ 

Other speakers were Govan Law Centre’s Mike Dailly, currently pursuing legal action against the GHA on behalf of hundreds of clients, and Dr Stirling Howison, who covered the health effects of poor quality housing.

Mr Dailly said that the GHA’s policy, where they refuse to repair properties listed for possible demolition, had tenants living in ‘illegally poor’ accommodation. He also claimed that cowboy contractors using the cheapest of materials often carried out repairs on other GHA properties.

Dr Howison, Director of the Centre for Environmental Design and Research at Strathclyde University, predicted that everyone in Scotland will have asthma by 2100 if current trends continue. He has made the GHA aware of his £1million research into making homes healthier but is unaware of any plans to implement his advice.

In the second half of the day, representatives from all the major political parties delivered their positions on housing and fielded questions from the audience of about 20 people.

On behalf of the Government, Depute Communities Minister Des McNulty defended the GHA and said, ‘I think the GHA is doing a very good job. The huge volumes of investment in Glasgow has been made possible by the GHA and is unprecedented.’

Responding to comments from the audience that the housing stock would be better off back under the control of Glasgow City Council, Mr McNulty said, ‘We are absolutely clear that putting council housing back in the hands of the Council is absolutely the wrong direction of travel.’

The GHA had no representative at the conference but Sandra Forsythe, Chair of GHA Board and a GHA tenant, told the LOCAL NEWS later, ‘Even after four years I still can’t believe the lies that people tell about housing transfer in Glasgow. In reality, we are now at a stage where GHA is spending more than £1million every two days on home improvements. Since 2003 the GHA has spent over £409 million – with a further £470 million approved for the next three years. This includes the delivery of 31,494 central heating systems, 9,877 new windows, 12,855 new kitchens and 12,763 new bathrooms.

‘Over 600 tenants on Local Management Committees decide on local service and investment plans, and more than 2,000 tenants help determine GHA policy and strategy by serving on the Tenants Panel. The GHA Board comprises six tenant members, four Glasgow City council nominees and four independent members: a former Chief Executive of a high street bank, a retired solicitor, a senior lecturer from Glasgow University and a well-known Glasgow housing activist who was awarded an MBE for her services to housing.’