Residents of ‘filthy’ block feel neglected and ‘scared to leave their homes’

By Charlotte Lillywhite, Local Democracy Reporter

Residents of a “filthy” apartment block have said they are scared to leave their homes due to antisocial behaviour they claim their housing association is not cracking down on.

People living at 27 Enterprise Way, in Wandsworth, said they do not feel Southern Housing is protecting their safety or properly maintaining the block.

Residents reported experiencing antisocial behaviour issues in the block for years – including people smoking in the communal areas, fighting, burning carpets and plastic bottles, leaving dog faeces on the stairs, and covering the walls with graffiti. 

Southern Housing said it is working to support residents and takes their concerns extremely seriously and is regularly visiting the block to make sure residents are safe and that a meeting will be held at the end of the month to share further updates and address any issues.

But, residents said they feel Southern Housing does not care about them.

Natasha Johnson, 43, said the issues make her feel ‘jumpy’ and stop her sleeping, and have affected her eldest daughter’s mental health to the point she refuses to leave the flat.

She said: “My floor is a hazard, there’s graffiti all over the walls, there’s bikes in the communal areas, it’s just horrible. Sometimes I feel sick just even walking in my communal area.”

Ms Johnson claimed Southern Housing has not taken action to improve living conditions. She said: “We want to see action and we’re not getting that action… it’s unfair. We shouldn’t have to live like this.”

Elisa Mbuanda, 56, described feeling “neglected in every way” by Southern Housing. Regarding antisocial behaviour, she said: “I have to have someone in the house because sometimes, when I’m on my own, I’m so scared being here.”

A Southern Housing spokesperson said: “We’re carrying out regular visits to the estate to ensure the safety of our residents and we’ve a dedicated ASB officer who manages reports of ASB from residents on this estate. They work very closely with other partners and our legal team to ensure appropriate actions are taken. We continue to encourage residents to report criminal-related activities directly to the police.

“Since November last year we’ve been taking action to deal with residents at Enterprise Way who have dogs in their homes as this is a breach of their tenancy agreement. Further inspections are planned in the coming weeks, and we’ll take legal enforcement action if needed. Any reports of dog faeces in communal areas are treated as an emergency, meaning our teams are on site to carry out a thorough clean on the same day. We’ve also arranged for extra cleaning visits to the block as required.”

Pictured top: Natasha Johnson in front of the locked communal garden at 27 Enterprise Way, Wandsworth (Picture: Charlotte Lillywhite)