RSH orders Easy Housing Association to appoint a manager as it ‘persistently’ fails to address failings
The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has taken enforcement action against Easy Housing Association (EHA), a landlord which provides supported housing through leases in Birmingham.
In a notice today, RSH said the provider has been “unable or willing” to make improvements since it was found to be in breach of the governance and financial viability standard in March 2023.
Today’s enforcement notice means EHA must now commission an independent review and appoint a manager to “ensure a credible and comprehensive action plan is developed and that capacity is in place for its delivery.”
RSH has also made three statutory appointments to the board of EHA. These are Nicole Seymour, executive director, corporate services at Sanctuary Group, Sayeed Haris, executive director of property services at Midland Heart and Waseem Butt, director of building safety at Midland Heart.
The regulatory notice in March 2023 said EHA “has not been able to demonstrate that it has managed its affairs with an appropriate degree of skill, independence, diligence, effectiveness, prudence and foresight.”
It said it has failed to ensure that it has an appropriate, robust and prudent business planning, risk and control framework. It also said governance weaknesses meant the landlord could not provide assurance that it complies with the home standard and the rent standard.
EHA has a head office in London but enters short-term leases in Birmingham and uses the properties for supported exempt accommodation.
The regulator said that EHA’s “governance arrangements are underdeveloped and inadequate for the size of the organisation”. The 2023 notice said it managed 213 properties.
Jonathan Walters, deputy chief executive of RSH, said: “When landlords cannot or will not resolve issues on their own, we will use our enforcement powers when necessary to make sure things are put right to protect tenants and their homes.
“In this case, EHA has persistently failed to address serious failings and we are taking enforcement action as a result.”
EHA has been approached for comment.
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