At the election to the St George’s Estate Management Board recently in June, twelve of the nineteen positions were filled by residents.
However since the elections, events have taken a sinister turn with a member of the board receiving a letter from Mr Paul Bloss, the CEO of EastendHomes indicating that he was refusing his appointment to the board on the grounds of his “extensive and ongoing involvement in activities which are incompatible with the Code of Conduct of local board members”. He elaborated on this suggesting that he has made far too many complaints to EastendHomes, and that he has also contacted bodies including the Tenants Services Authority, the Housing Ombudsman, Tower Hamlets Council and the public domain in pursuit of his complaints of their services and practices.
In justifying his position he states that he is “concerned about the reputational damage to EastendHomes, given the activities by a small number of individuals”.
This action by Paul Bloss is further evidence of the lengths he is prepared to go to in order to silence any resident dissent from his views on the type of housing and services that he believes we should simply accept or put up with. Making complaints where residents have serious concerns is not a crime and does not contravene any code of conduct expected of members of the management board.
It appears that local board members who voice their concerns where services and provision is poor are deemed a nuisance. It is ironic that the chief executive of EastendHomes fails to recognise that the biggest damage that continues to be done to the reputation of EastendHomes is by the dreadful, arrogant and inept management that begins with his administration.
