When we acquired homes from Riverside in Maidenhead, one of the tenants who came across to Red Kite was living with her three sons in a two-bedroom home that was no longer suitable for their family.
One of her sons has a serious health condition, and the family needed a bigger home with enough space for his medical equipment. They were also dealing with problems caused by a significant flea infestation at a neighbouring property, which had spread into their home - and even to their car.
Around a month after becoming a Red Kite tenant, she got in touch with one of our Community Specialists to see if we could help. We talked her through the possibility of applying for a priority move, while being open that it wouldn't necessarily be an easy process and would need to be considered by our Housing Adaptations & Lettings Panel.
Once the necessary medical evidence had been gathered, an application was made and approved by the panel. The family then had to wait a few months for a suitable three-bedroom home to become available in Maidenhead.
Once a home came up and the family moved in, there was one more hurdle to overcome. Because of the previous flea infestation, the family couldn't take their old flooring with them. However, we were able to fund new flooring for their home, helping them get settled and begin making it their own.
The tenant's feedback afterwards showed just how much the support meant to her:
“For the first time in a long time, I felt like I had actually managed to do something right. Like somebody was finally listening, somebody was on our side, and there might actually be a way of getting my children somewhere safe.”
Our work hasn't stopped with the family's move. We are now working to resolve the issues at their former home by seeking an injunction to prevent the neighbouring tenant from keeping animals at their property. Once these issues have been dealt with and it is ready to be let safely, it can become a new home for another family.
By listening to our tenants, persevering when things aren't straightforward, and working together to find the right solution, we aim to make a difference to people's lives.