EXCLUSIVE: Peabody Housing Association has released figures which appear to contradict earlier statements issued to justify the sale of 17 Robinson Road.
The housing association claims that it is a caring social landlord which is committed to being a good landlord and to building around 1,000 new homes a year – though it has not specified whether all these homes are for rent or how much the rents are.
Peabody took a decision to sell one of its houses – 17 Robinson Road in Tower Hamlets – in order to fund its building programme. It is not known exactly when the decision was taken, but campaigners claim the property has been empty for ten months. Peabody justified the sale on the basis that:
“If we did not undertake sales, our ability to deliver new affordable homes would be severely restricted.” (our emphasis)
ELN asked Peabody to clarify the statement: how much money does selling 40 or so units a year raise, and what proportion of the cost of building approximately 1,000 homes do these receipts represent?
Peabody has not released any figures to us, but in a further comment a spokesperson for the housing association said: “Since merging with Family Mosaic in July 2017 we have sold one empty property in Tower Hamlets on the open market. In the same period we have completed 131 new social rented homes in the borough.”
If the sale of one existing home is crucial to the building of 131 new homes, that must have been a very expensive home that was sold – or some very cheap building. Alternatively, Peabody has a different definition of the term “severely restricting” than the rest of us.
•Peabody Housing Association is due to sell off 17 Robinson Road today, by “digital auction”.
•Read more about this story: Peabody defends selling off homes Protest as Peabody SELLS OFF social housing