0:00:02 > 0:00:04It's difficult to imagine calling this a home.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06'Everyone deserves a safe place to live.'
0:00:06 > 0:00:08So, that's a dead rat.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11'But with rents rising and demand increasing,
0:00:11 > 0:00:14'it's getting harder and harder to find a secure place to call home.'
0:00:15 > 0:00:19You can actually see the floorboards of the bathroom there.
0:00:19 > 0:00:20There is clear evidence here.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23- Clearly someone living down here.- Yeah.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25'I'm Matt Allwright and I'm back with the Housing Enforcers.'
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Someone nicked your wheelchair?
0:00:27 > 0:00:28'I'm on the front line with those
0:00:28 > 0:00:31'fighting for the right for decent housing.'
0:00:31 > 0:00:33The amount of mould is quite shocking.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36Happiest residents of this property are the rats.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38'As local councils and housing associations
0:00:38 > 0:00:41'battle problem properties in slum conditions...'
0:00:41 > 0:00:44This is just a scene of Dickensian misery.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47It absolutely pen-and-inks.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49'As they deal with dodgy landlords...'
0:00:49 > 0:00:51- SHOUTING - Whoa, sir!- Calm down!
0:00:51 > 0:00:52'..nightmare neighbours...
0:00:52 > 0:00:55There's a good chance people will be getting evicted.
0:00:55 > 0:00:56'..and everything in between.'
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Does feel like we are close to the bottom of the housing ladder here.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03'To help those in need of a happy and healthy home.'
0:01:03 > 0:01:05If there's something strange in your neighbourhood,
0:01:05 > 0:01:07who you going to call?
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Today, an eviction reveals a shock discovery.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19- Oh, so you've got a choice. - Axe, tomahawk of some sort.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Of the tomahawk or the bayonet.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25'A fly-tipping incident turns violent.'
0:01:25 > 0:01:29- Oh, do us a favour!- Can I have my phone back, please, sir?
0:01:29 > 0:01:30- No!- Sir, sir?- No.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34In Lewisham, an investigation into possible tenancy fraud
0:01:34 > 0:01:37leads one housing officer down a mysterious path.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40The door's open.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42I am going to push the door open and shout in
0:01:42 > 0:01:45because I'm a little bit concerned about what's happening here.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48As you can see, the door has been blocked by a...
0:01:48 > 0:01:49a shopping trolley.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53'And an OAP keep fit class leaves me breathless.'
0:01:53 > 0:01:56I've already got it wrong! THEY LAUGH
0:02:01 > 0:02:05Finding a suitable place to call home for you and your family
0:02:05 > 0:02:07has never been harder.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Especially for those on a restricted budget.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14But low rent shouldn't mean your house doesn't live up
0:02:14 > 0:02:18to the same basic standards as everyone else's.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Fortunately, there is a group of men and women
0:02:21 > 0:02:25who are out on the front line battling on your behalf
0:02:25 > 0:02:29against bad and dangerous living conditions.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31They are the Housing Enforcers.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38The UK is in the grip of a housing shortage.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Home ownership is out of reach for many
0:02:40 > 0:02:42and with private rents increasing,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45social housing can often remain the only option.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49So, the main role of the housing officer is to try and help
0:02:49 > 0:02:51those most in need of a roof over their heads.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54But if a tenant doesn't look after their property
0:02:54 > 0:02:58or fails to pay their rent, it can mean they will be evicted.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00It's a tough call for a council
0:03:00 > 0:03:04and it's one facing housing officer Joe Phillips here in Stroud.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09So, Joe, this looks like a typical Stroud council property.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12It's got that nice stucco render on the outside.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15And why are we looking at that picture right now?
0:03:15 > 0:03:17OK, so this is the flat we're going to be going to
0:03:17 > 0:03:19while we're carrying out an eviction today.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23The tenant has been in rent arrears for over ten years now.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27We've worked with them as much as we think we can.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29So, we've applied for a warrant of eviction.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31The warrant of eviction expires today,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35so we'll be attending with a bailiff to get the property back.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37So, ten years of warnings.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39At some point, something has to give.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41- Let's go.- Let's get off.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46As Joe says, evictions are always a last resort.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48But the demands on housing are high,
0:03:48 > 0:03:511.8 million households in England and Scotland
0:03:51 > 0:03:53are currently on the waiting list for a home.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55So, there's no shortage of local people
0:03:55 > 0:03:57who desperately need a property like this.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59And will pay their rent.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03When we arrive, the bailiffs have already been and gone.
0:04:03 > 0:04:04The flat's unoccupied.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06But what's left behind tells a story.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11It looks like the place has just been dumped.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13He's probably taken anything of value and just left.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15- So, he knew this was coming? - Absolutely.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17He knew eviction was coming, so there was a good chance
0:04:17 > 0:04:20he's taken anything that he really wanted to hold on to.
0:04:20 > 0:04:21Definitely.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Looks like he's not bothered doing any washing up
0:04:24 > 0:04:26in the last week or two. Why would he?
0:04:26 > 0:04:28- Lots of rubbish everywhere.- Yeah.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Probably where most of the smell is coming from, to be honest.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33One immaculate...
0:04:34 > 0:04:37- ..chef's knife.- Yeah, that's probably worth a few bob as well.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40- Bizarre, isn't it?- Amazed he hasn't taken that with him.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44Well, the kitchen isn't going to win too many awards for cleanliness,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47and I'm beginning to sense a theme for the rest of the flat.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49- Bedroom?- Bedroom, yeah.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54- There's no evidence of a bed in here at all, it's just...- Yeah.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Piles of clothing, which has just ended up on the floor.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01We've got towels, which are just completely mouldy.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04You can see signs of where he has looked after it before.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06He's got a picture on the wall.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10He's got this hanger, ready for hanging all his clothes on.
0:05:10 > 0:05:11Shelving's put up,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14so he's obviously paid attention to it at some point.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16And he's just lost interest.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Right, so as we go into the bathroom...
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Oh, the light works. That worries me a bit there, look.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25- You've got a big dip in the floor. - Hmm.
0:05:27 > 0:05:28The guy's lined up all his razors.
0:05:28 > 0:05:29It's really strange,
0:05:29 > 0:05:33there's evidence here of trying to order a life.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35- Yeah.- Of trying to make things work...
0:05:36 > 0:05:39..erm, at some point during his tenancy.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41He was trying to make this into a home
0:05:41 > 0:05:43and then it just all went horribly wrong.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46'But looking around the rest of the property...'
0:05:46 > 0:05:48I'd say this is the living room.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Obviously taken his telly, a few knick-knacks around.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53'..we find some disturbing clues about the tenant
0:05:53 > 0:05:55'and the life here that he's left behind.'
0:05:55 > 0:06:00The bit that probably worries me the most is what's going on here.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03This is why I'm quite glad that he wasn't here.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07- Yeah.- When we came through the door. So, I'm thinking that
0:06:07 > 0:06:10- maybe....- Or possibly the...
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Oh, so you've got a choice.
0:06:12 > 0:06:18- Axe, tomahawk of some sort. - Of the tomahawk or the bayonet.- Hmm.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Makes you wonder who that was supposed to be depicting,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24- to an extent.- It's somebody that he was not terribly keen on.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27- No, I imagine.- We've got a selection of weapons there.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Obviously had a bit of an interest, didn't he?
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Yeah.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36The kind of support that he was getting up until this point,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38what was it for? What kind of issues?
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Various kinds of support.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42It was financial support there offered, mostly, because that's
0:06:42 > 0:06:46the important part of why he's was removed from the property today.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48The main issue we had with him was he wasn't,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50he was engaging for a short period of time
0:06:50 > 0:06:52and then not engaging with support services.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55And you can't force support services on someone, they have to want it.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57He's obviously paid attention at some point
0:06:57 > 0:07:00and he's made an effort at some point to decorate this place
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and to me, it looks more like it's been neglected more recently.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Well, what's the point? If I'm going to get kicked out,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08- why would I bother doing the washing up?- Yeah.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11- And then that accelerates the process.- Yeah.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15'But just as we're trying to work out how this flat ended up
0:07:15 > 0:07:18'in this condition, it seems I'm going to get a chance to find out
0:07:18 > 0:07:23'first-hand, as the tenant and his friends arrive back unexpectedly.'
0:07:24 > 0:07:27- Look. Going to get some stuff. - All right, what do you want to grab?
0:07:29 > 0:07:30Did you see any knives?
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Meanwhile in the English county of Essex
0:07:41 > 0:07:43lies the coastal village of Jaywick.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Its picturesque location masks a unique set of problems.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51It's one of the most deprived areas of the country
0:07:51 > 0:07:53and a higher than average unemployment rate
0:07:53 > 0:07:56has increased demand for affordable accommodation.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00It offers a real challenge to local housing officers like Rob Goswell.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Today, he's on the way to investigate
0:08:03 > 0:08:05a complaint about an abandoned house.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08We've been called to a fly-tipping thing
0:08:08 > 0:08:10that actually is still in an empty property.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13The empty property has been sort of broken into.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16And also, what we reported is potentially that someone
0:08:16 > 0:08:20has actually tried to nick the land that this empty property's on.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23So, we need to have a look at what's going on and find out
0:08:23 > 0:08:27who the owner is and go from there, so we can get it back into use.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30So, that's one of the remits of our job,
0:08:30 > 0:08:32is to get empty properties back into use again.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Rob's joined by his colleague Ian Kavanagh
0:08:36 > 0:08:39and it's not too difficult for them to find the problem.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43This is the empty property here.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45We were told it was unsecure.
0:08:45 > 0:08:46So, it's looking good.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49From the front here, it's looking like it is secure,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52but I'm thinking that's where they were talking about the land grab,
0:08:52 > 0:08:54all that fly-tipped waste at the back there.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Across England, councils dealt with more than 900,000 incidents
0:08:59 > 0:09:01of fly-tipping last year
0:09:01 > 0:09:04at a staggering cost of nearly £50 million.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06So, it's something local authorities take very seriously.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11It is unsecure, it's very easy to get round the back.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14No gate here, is it? Yeah, I'll go and have a look.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17There's a gentleman here but I think he's on the plot behind, isn't he?
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Yeah, I think that's the problem.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Is this part all of your land here or is this part of this house?
0:09:24 > 0:09:28Part of that one? Where does yours end and where does yours start?
0:09:28 > 0:09:32- Oh, right, so you're storing it on there, are you, sir?- OK.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35We've have a complaint about your scrap metal there because, yeah,
0:09:35 > 0:09:37it's just people have been complaining
0:09:37 > 0:09:39about fly-tipped waste and that.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41If the landlord wanted to put a fence back up,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43- would you be all right with that, would you?- Yeah.
0:09:43 > 0:09:44OK, that's fine, yeah.
0:09:46 > 0:09:47The unsightly scrap metal storage
0:09:47 > 0:09:50is clearly an eyesore for fellow residents,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52and will be an issue for any potential new tenant
0:09:52 > 0:09:55that might move into this empty property.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59That's if Rob and Ian can help get it back in working order.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Broken glass under there, so this property is abandoned.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04I just wonder if that's him.
0:10:05 > 0:10:06Can't get in.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09One thing I do remember is you can, they set fires below them.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13- They get in from underneath. - Yeah, I know they get in.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15And then they take all the piping.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18But it looks like what we've got here is some plastic pipes,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20- which is good. - They're all right.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23I don't think we've got anybody going under there and getting in.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26- Yeah.- It's never easy, is it?- No.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28After this inspection,
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Rob and Ian now need to track down the landlord
0:10:30 > 0:10:33to find out what his plans are for the property,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36as there's a big demand for homes in the area and an empty house
0:10:36 > 0:10:39can be a magnet for crime and antisocial behaviour.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Right, so it looks like it's secure.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46It does look like there's potential for a land grab at the back there.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51I spoke to the gentleman and he said he'd happily give the land back
0:10:51 > 0:10:54if the landlord wanted to reinstate a fence.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Which is a win in many ways,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59I was half-expecting a bit more of a battle there but I think
0:10:59 > 0:11:00hands up, he was caught.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04- He was caught!- I think he was hands up, he's been caught, so...
0:11:04 > 0:11:07For Rob and Ian, this looks like a straightforward visit
0:11:07 > 0:11:10but later on, we'll discover how things can become more complicated
0:11:10 > 0:11:13very quickly when tempers flare.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15- MAN SHOUTS - Whoa!
0:11:15 > 0:11:16- Hey! - BEEPING
0:11:16 > 0:11:20- Whoa, whoa! Sir!- Calm down! - Sir, sir.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28'Meanwhile, back in Stroud, and I'm with housing officer Joe Phillips,
0:11:28 > 0:11:30'attending what on the face of it
0:11:30 > 0:11:33'looked like a very straightforward eviction.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36'But just as we were nervously wondering about the habits of
0:11:36 > 0:11:39'our former resident...' Oh, so you've got a choice.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42- Yeah, tomahawk of some sort. - Choice of tomahawk...
0:11:42 > 0:11:44or the bayonet.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48'..the tenant, Joel, had returned, with friends in tow.'
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Joe, obviously we're in the middle looking round the house.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53- The tenant has come back.- Yeah.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Presumably he's got rights to take his property away
0:11:56 > 0:11:58- during this time...- Absolutely. - ..even though the locks
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- are currently being changed. - Yeah. It's no benefit for us
0:12:01 > 0:12:02to just chuck it all in the skip and get rid of it.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05If he wants to keep any bits and pieces, that's absolutely up to him.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Anything you want Max, just take it, otherwise it's going in the bin
0:12:09 > 0:12:13- or is being destroyed.- Yeah.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Help yourself.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19Joel, rather than you try and rush through it today,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22here's what we'll probably do, is move anything of value
0:12:22 > 0:12:24into one of our garages for 28 days,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26and then if you want to collect anything...
0:12:26 > 0:12:27It's not...
0:12:27 > 0:12:29None of this is really of value,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31which is why I brought Sammy and Max up.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35If there's anything they want to keep then they can keep, but...
0:12:35 > 0:12:38- Otherwise it's just a little heartbreaking for me, really.- Yeah.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Max, take that clock there. You might have use for it.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43That belonged to a friend of mine.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46- He died, so I want to see it go to a good home.- Is it a clock, is it?
0:12:46 > 0:12:50- It's a clock, it's a radio. - Oh, with an alarm on it?- Yeah.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53- I could do with... - That's fine, then take it.
0:12:53 > 0:12:54Thank you.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59'Although Joel technically no longer lives here,
0:12:59 > 0:13:00'it's clear there's still
0:13:00 > 0:13:03'an emotional attachment to the property.'
0:13:03 > 0:13:04Can we help you at all, Joel?
0:13:04 > 0:13:07There really is no help at the moment.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09I'm just getting stuff that I forgot last night.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Larger stuff I just can't take -
0:13:12 > 0:13:15tables, chairs, there's no way I can take those.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17There's just no room where I'm going.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19So, can I ask you where you're going,
0:13:19 > 0:13:23- what's going to happen to you next? - I'm pretty much on the street.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25I'm going to be sofa surfing for a little bit.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29In terms of plans, I'm hoping on working for a week straight,
0:13:29 > 0:13:34which should be enough for me to put a deposit down on a new flat.
0:13:34 > 0:13:35But that's all a big if.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38I'm currently working on a zero-hour contract.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Zero hour, meaning that I'm on minimal amounts of wages.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46You're now kind of at the mercy of the private rented market.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48That's right, yeah.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50I mean, it's a long time to be in a property.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53- Like, this is ten years now, is it, in this...?- 12.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56- 12 years in this property.- Yeah.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58After a number of years of living here,
0:13:58 > 0:14:02it became quite apparent to me that I can't respect the property,
0:14:02 > 0:14:04when the floorboards in the bathroom
0:14:04 > 0:14:07are so damp because there's no ventilation
0:14:07 > 0:14:09that the floorboards themselves are rotting,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11the toilet is falling through the bathroom floor
0:14:11 > 0:14:14into the next-door's flat underneath,
0:14:14 > 0:14:18if you run a bath the entire flat fills up with steam,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21you open the windows, you have no heating,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23it becomes bitterly cold.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27We were looking around the flat before you came in and trying to...
0:14:27 > 0:14:30In your absence, trying to make sense of
0:14:30 > 0:14:33what's happened here and what happened in your life.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37Because it looks like there was... Up to a point you'd really tried to
0:14:37 > 0:14:41make a home in this place, and you made efforts to make it comfortable,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43and then there was just... It seemed...
0:14:43 > 0:14:46We're just putting together clues here from what we can see.
0:14:46 > 0:14:47No, you're pretty much on the ball.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49For the first, maybe, five years,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52I tried really hard to make the best of a bad situation.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55There's quite a lot of damage to the property,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58which has clearly come from somebody inside here.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02- You know, to the door... - The doors, the doors, yes. That...
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Those were damaged over time.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07A lot of my friends were so angry that they couldn't even get
0:15:07 > 0:15:10a necessary renovation done to the flat
0:15:10 > 0:15:12that they stopped paying respect to it.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14How are you feeling about what's going to happen
0:15:14 > 0:15:17over the next couple of months?
0:15:17 > 0:15:19I'm quietly optimistic.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22I've said a number of times to my friends that this place
0:15:22 > 0:15:24has been like a velvet prison for me.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27It's given me support, it's given me somewhere to go to,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30but it's been holding me back for so long.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34It's made me really unhappy, it's made me depressed over time.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37I tried to make it a home, but it's just remained a house.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42So I'm quietly optimistic. Even though the future is unsure...
0:15:44 > 0:15:49..it's better than just knowing that you're going to be unhappy.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53'It's a rare opportunity to be able to talk to a tenant in the process
0:15:53 > 0:15:57'of an eviction and get the chance to hear both sides of the story.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00'It's clear Joel holds the council at least partly responsible
0:16:00 > 0:16:03'for the state of the property, but by his own admission,
0:16:03 > 0:16:05'he's not blameless either.'
0:16:05 > 0:16:07I'll be honest, when I heard you coming up the stairs,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09I was concerned.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12- It's OK.- You know, because we found, like, bayonets,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15we see the back of the door and that sort of thing. I was really worried.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19I'm glad to see that you're able to kind of work through this
0:16:19 > 0:16:22- and you're feeling optimistic about it.- Yeah, it's OK.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Contrary to appearances, I'm not a thug.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Like, and the appearance of the flat is because I literally
0:16:28 > 0:16:31came in yesterday, pulled everything off of shelves, tried to put things
0:16:31 > 0:16:34in boxes and bags, so I had to move my life out in two hours' time.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38OK, well, I'm really sorry to meet you under these circumstances.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40I hope things really improve for you.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45'It's tough to watch Joel piece together the parts of
0:16:45 > 0:16:48'his life that remain in his now former home.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52'But it's understandable that after ten years of rent arrears,
0:16:52 > 0:16:54'something had to be done.'
0:16:54 > 0:16:57So, I hadn't really expected that.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00I thought once, you know, the flat was empty,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03I hadn't expected to see Joel come back,
0:17:03 > 0:17:07and I didn't certainly expect him to explain in such depth,
0:17:07 > 0:17:11you know, the circumstances which had led up to his eviction.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13What did you make of what he was saying,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15the explanation he gave of his circumstances?
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Yeah, I mean, obviously he's a very emotional about it all
0:17:19 > 0:17:21and he's got his side of the story.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24I mean, it's 12 years he's been a tenant.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28If he's had those same issues for 12 years,
0:17:28 > 0:17:30I don't really know what to say.
0:17:30 > 0:17:31I mean, I'm sure we've looked at things before.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Either that or he hasn't reported them in the right way
0:17:34 > 0:17:37and let us know that there's been issues that need resolving.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41But to be in a flat for 12 years and then mention problems
0:17:41 > 0:17:44you've had since you first moved in, then, yeah,
0:17:44 > 0:17:46that would be very frustrating for him.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49The last time we were in court with him he was actually represented
0:17:49 > 0:17:53by the agency that persuaded the judge on his behalf to allow him
0:17:53 > 0:17:56to stay in the property based on him making certain payments.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59You have a degree of sympathy for him, but then,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02if he's not listening to the people who are telling him exactly
0:18:02 > 0:18:05what he needs to do, how much handholding can you do of someone?
0:18:05 > 0:18:08When we were looking around the flat to start with and you're looking
0:18:08 > 0:18:12at the damage, and there's knives and things in here as well,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15you start to get a really negative image of someone.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19And then Joel walks in and actually, he didn't react to us
0:18:19 > 0:18:21with any aggression at all - quite the opposite.
0:18:21 > 0:18:27My idea of who he was changed very, very quickly once he'd...
0:18:27 > 0:18:31You know, and it kind of taught me a lesson about making assumptions
0:18:31 > 0:18:35about people based on what you see around you, really.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40'Evictions in England and Wales are currently at an all-time high,
0:18:40 > 0:18:44'with 170 tenants like Joel losing their home every day.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47'As today's experience demonstrates,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49'the reasons are rarely black and white.'
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Before I was living here
0:18:52 > 0:18:56I was living in supported housing because I was a care leaver.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Which was really bad for me
0:18:59 > 0:19:02because I didn't have the whole idea of living independently
0:19:02 > 0:19:05explained to me, and so that's where the debt started.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08I mean, they've allowed you to be in arrears for nearly ten years.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10They've been very patient.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13But it's not the patience that I needed,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15I needed someone to just give me a hand.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17That's all it really was.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19I needed some options. I needed a way out.
0:19:21 > 0:19:22- Sam...- Yes.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25Oh, there they are.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31You move up, you renew,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34you try to make better than what you've had before.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37I don't think anybody likes doing evictions.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40We get into the housing business to have people in houses,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42not to remove people from them.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44But, you know, there's plenty of people who want to live in
0:19:44 > 0:19:47a flat like this and will pay the rent, at the end of the day,
0:19:47 > 0:19:49and that's what we're after.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52I worry now that he's going into the private rented market
0:19:52 > 0:19:56which, from what I've seen, can be pretty brutal.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58- He had a degree of security here... - Absolutely.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01..which now he's trading for goodness knows what.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Yeah, definitely. I mean, he would have this property for life
0:20:04 > 0:20:07if he hasn't been in arrears or broken his tenancy agreement.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Talk about meeting someone at their low point.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16You can't help but wonder what's going to happen next to him.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20You know, evicted from his home for the last 12 years,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23he's not got regular work
0:20:23 > 0:20:26and he's got to somehow scrape together enough for a deposit
0:20:26 > 0:20:29which, to be honest, feels a long way off.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Even though he's optimistic,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34I think he's got the bit of a challenge on his hands.
0:20:34 > 0:20:35But the eviction had to take place.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37He wasn't paying his rent
0:20:37 > 0:20:40and he clearly wasn't looking after the flat either.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Doesn't leave you with a good feeling, though.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45That's a tough job.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54'Over on the East Coast in Jaywick, housing officers Rob and Ian
0:20:54 > 0:20:56'have been investigating a garden
0:20:56 > 0:20:58'that's been turned into a dumping ground.'
0:20:58 > 0:21:00If the landlord wanted to put a fence backup,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03would you be all right with that, would you? OK, that's fine.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06'It all seems to have turned out quite amicably,
0:21:06 > 0:21:10'until a disgruntled neighbour turns up and objects to us filming.'
0:21:10 > 0:21:12So, we're looking at this abandoned property as part of our job
0:21:12 > 0:21:15and they're just filming the rubbish because they've come over.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18I spoke to the gentleman and he said he's happy to reinstate the fence.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21'It seems this resident is involved in the fly-tipping too.'
0:21:21 > 0:21:23- OK, sir.- OK, no problem.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26'And he's not happy with Rob and Ian asking questions.'
0:21:26 > 0:21:28- Hey, hey, hey! Whoa, whoa, whoa! - BLEEP!
0:21:28 > 0:21:30Whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm down!
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Sir, sir, sir...
0:21:32 > 0:21:34All right? Do us all a favour, go!
0:21:34 > 0:21:37- Can I have my phone back, please, sir?- Go!- Sir...
0:21:37 > 0:21:38I'm off, I'm off.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41- What don't you like about it? Tell us.- Why are you filming?
0:21:41 > 0:21:44- We've got you out papping with- BLEEP - cameras round here.- BLEEP.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47I don't know if you caught all of that, but the one of the owners
0:21:47 > 0:21:50of the land wasn't very happy with us filming
0:21:50 > 0:21:53that plot of land and the rubbish on there.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Once we'd spoken to him and calmed him down,
0:21:56 > 0:21:57because he was very agitated...
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Tempers can always be quite flared here, you know?
0:22:00 > 0:22:03The issue here is there has been a lot of hard press here.
0:22:03 > 0:22:04A lot of people feel very upset
0:22:04 > 0:22:07with the way they've been portrayed down here.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10I grew up here and it's actually a really lovely area, you know?
0:22:10 > 0:22:12You've got some lovely people, lovely community.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15We chatted to him, he said he's only keeping that there
0:22:15 > 0:22:17because he's trying to clear up the area himself.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Hopefully he'll be good on his agreement we've got with him
0:22:20 > 0:22:23and the fence will be back up and then I can deal with
0:22:23 > 0:22:26the empty property separately,
0:22:26 > 0:22:28and then that's some way of getting closer to finishing it.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Rob and Ian's visit to Jaywick is a perfect example of
0:22:33 > 0:22:37the demanding role of the housing officer, where a straightforward
0:22:37 > 0:22:41visit to a property can turn into something much more challenging.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Unfortunately, when they returned to the property six weeks later,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47they found the fly-tipping had actually got even worse,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50proving a real headache for the rest of the community.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53But Rob and Ian are not giving up and they've reported the issue
0:22:53 > 0:22:57to the Environment Agency in the hope further action can be taken.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Defending our right to a safe place to live is the job of
0:23:05 > 0:23:07housing officers right across the UK.
0:23:07 > 0:23:12It is unusual for us to find a tenanted property in this condition.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16- You can smell that rubbish still, can't you? Even from here.- Yeah.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19'I'm working alongside the men and women who do exactly that.'
0:23:19 > 0:23:20You got insulted, we got kicked out.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Bit of a red letter day, really, isn't it?
0:23:23 > 0:23:24'I'm hitting the streets,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26'finding out what's happening on the front lines...'
0:23:26 > 0:23:28You've done a great thing, you've done a superb thing.
0:23:28 > 0:23:29You really have.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33..as we make sure a house is a fit place to call a home.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36The place is clearly being plagued by rats,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39raw sewage in the back garden.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42It's just apparent that this is not an OK environment
0:23:42 > 0:23:44for anyone to live in.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50There's no such thing as an average day.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Yes, it's a cliche, but like all the best cliches, it's true,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57certainly when it comes to the role of the housing officer.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00It's the nature of the job that despite all the phone calls
0:24:00 > 0:24:03and research, they never really know what they're going to face
0:24:03 > 0:24:05when they walk through the door.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08It's a role where a perfectly straightforward visit
0:24:08 > 0:24:13to a tenant can turn into something much more serious and challenging.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Finding an affordable property in London
0:24:21 > 0:24:24has never been easy but with house prices here in the capital
0:24:24 > 0:24:27continuing to rise and rents also set to increase
0:24:27 > 0:24:30over the next five years, you can see why people
0:24:30 > 0:24:33are talking about a housing crisis.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36So, making sure social housing is available to those in need
0:24:36 > 0:24:40is a priority for councils and housing associations here.
0:24:40 > 0:24:41But in some parts of the city,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44housing officers like Grace Briody are finding their jobs
0:24:44 > 0:24:48are being made harder by some tenants trying to cheat the system.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52Here in south London, in Lewisham, I've found tenancy fraud
0:24:52 > 0:24:54seems to be one of the top things
0:24:54 > 0:24:57that I'm investigating at the moment.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Tenancy fraud is a criminal offence and punishable by
0:25:00 > 0:25:03up to two years in jail. But combating it is difficult,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06as it can come in many different shapes and sizes.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11You know longer use the property as your main and principal home -
0:25:11 > 0:25:12that breaches your tenancy agreement.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16People have started a tenancy here, maybe left the country,
0:25:16 > 0:25:18allowed family members to remain in the properties,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20and it is a really big problem in London.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23It's something that we come across all of the time.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27Illegally subletting your property means that those in need
0:25:27 > 0:25:30have to wait even longer before they can find suitable accommodation.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34And when you learn that Lewisham alone has more than 9,000 households
0:25:34 > 0:25:37on the social homes waiting list, you can understand why councils
0:25:37 > 0:25:41and housing associations are so keen to clamp down on the problem.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Today, Grace has got a couple of properties in her sights
0:25:46 > 0:25:48she thinks may be cheating the system.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52First up, there's the mysterious case of an invisible tenant.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54We've been informed that the rent hasn't been paid
0:25:54 > 0:25:57for quite some time, housing benefit has been stopped.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00There is some information, though we're not quite sure how accurate
0:26:00 > 0:26:03it is, that the resident may actually be in prison at the moment.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07We haven't been informed of this by family or by the resident
0:26:07 > 0:26:09or by the police service,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12so obviously we need to ascertain if anyone is in the property.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Our records show that it should just be one person
0:26:14 > 0:26:15living in the property,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17so I want to find out, just check that there's no
0:26:17 > 0:26:20subletting going on and obviously just to see if I can make contact
0:26:20 > 0:26:24with the resident and just clarify the information we've been given.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26If the tenant's housing benefit has stopped,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29it's clear something has changed at this property.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Although it seems pretty quiet to me.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Time for a more direct approach.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43Hello, it's Grace from Hyde Housing. Is there anyone in there?
0:26:47 > 0:26:51OK, well, there doesn't appear to be anyone answering the door.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53There are some personal items inside,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56so I can't ascertain whether it's been abandoned.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01A further inspection reveals more evidence of signs of life.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03There's a bag of clothes that obviously belongs to somebody.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07I can't really see a huge amount through the net curtains.
0:27:07 > 0:27:08There are items in there.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11But while Grace is busy piecing together the clues,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14it seems help may be at hand from an unexpected source.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18A neighbour claims to have some information that could prove useful.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21The gentleman that lives there, do you know who he's been?
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Scotland?
0:27:24 > 0:27:26So nobody's living there?
0:27:26 > 0:27:28And there's an even bigger bombshell.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30So, he's not been there for a year and a half.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32See, we were told he could be in prison.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34This new information could explain why Grace is having
0:27:34 > 0:27:36no luck gaining entry to the flat.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39And although she can't speak to the elusive tenant,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42she does have a clever way of checking whether
0:27:42 > 0:27:44the neighbour's information might be correct.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Just going to have a quick check on the metres and see if anyone's
0:27:47 > 0:27:50topped them up recently.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54The electricity metre has got a debt of £90 on it,
0:27:54 > 0:27:56which suggests that nobody has topped up this
0:27:56 > 0:27:59in six, seven, maybe more months.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01It's clearly saying £90 owed,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04and there's £35 owed on the gas metre...
0:28:06 > 0:28:08..which does corroborate the idea
0:28:08 > 0:28:11that no-one is living here at the moment.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14It looks like the tenant has left without informing
0:28:14 > 0:28:15the housing association,
0:28:15 > 0:28:19leaving a hefty utilities bill for someone else to pick up.
0:28:19 > 0:28:20A couple of things I can do.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22The particular resident I'll need to now investigate,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25see if they're registered to any alternative addresses,
0:28:25 > 0:28:27see if they've got any changes in their bank statements,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30find out if they've got any current housing benefit claims
0:28:30 > 0:28:33anywhere else, job-seeker claims or, you know,
0:28:33 > 0:28:35their bank addresses have been moved.
0:28:35 > 0:28:36After this visit,
0:28:36 > 0:28:40Grace is confident she's learnt enough to start taking action.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43I will serve a notice of seeking possession today.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46We'll give them 28 days to respond back to us to say,
0:28:46 > 0:28:48"No, I'm living here, actually, there's been a mistake."
0:28:48 > 0:28:51That's obviously an option we're going to give.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53If they don't come back to us we'll assume the property
0:28:53 > 0:28:55has been abandoned.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57And she's getting the ball rolling
0:28:57 > 0:29:00to get one of this flat ready for one of the 9,000 households
0:29:00 > 0:29:02on Lewisham's waiting list.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04I've got a notice to quit that I've drafted.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07It clearly states that they've got 28 days to get back in contact
0:29:07 > 0:29:09with us and if they don't come back to us and say,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12"No, we're living in the property and there's been a mistake,"
0:29:12 > 0:29:15or provide any further evidence, we'll proceed to end the tenancy.
0:29:17 > 0:29:18Right, job done.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25- Later... - Hello? It's Grace from Hyde Housing.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28..Grace's investigation into a second flat reveals
0:29:28 > 0:29:30something even more shocking.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40The UK has a rapidly ageing population.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44By 2020, it's expected there will be an extra 1.1 million people
0:29:44 > 0:29:47over 65 years old.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49That's going to pose a huge challenge for councils
0:29:49 > 0:29:51across the country.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54One solution to that challenge is sheltered retirement housing,
0:29:54 > 0:29:55like here in Stroud.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58Places like this provide accommodation in the form of
0:29:58 > 0:30:00flats and bungalows for ageing residents,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03with the aim of keeping them as independent as possible.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08Mo moved in after a recent amputation left her in need
0:30:08 > 0:30:11of some extra help.
0:30:11 > 0:30:16I didn't realise at first that I was going to be having my leg off.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20- Right, so you went in not quite knowing...- Not quite sure.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23Thinking that I could get away without having the op.
0:30:23 > 0:30:24- But I couldn't.- Yeah.
0:30:24 > 0:30:29Because if I had carried on without treatment,
0:30:29 > 0:30:34it was going to take my life anyway. It is sore.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37But what happened, I came home for a very short time,
0:30:37 > 0:30:39and after the amputation,
0:30:39 > 0:30:45got off the loo and promptly fell on my stump on a concrete floor.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49So half a day later I'm back in the hospital for another month or more.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51Yes, that's making me go a bit funny.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53- That must have been very painful. - It was.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57'It's important for residents like Mo to keep as active as
0:30:57 > 0:31:01'possible and the staff here run groups like this keep fit class.'
0:31:01 > 0:31:05- I was told you were a naughty group. - We're not naughty, are we?
0:31:05 > 0:31:07- Well behaved.- Are you?
0:31:08 > 0:31:12'The aim is to encourage tenants to stay physically fit and healthy.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16'But it also provides vital social interaction.'
0:31:16 > 0:31:17Just heel raises.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19Alternately.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21'Looks nice and straightforward.'
0:31:21 > 0:31:23Just one? Sorry.
0:31:23 > 0:31:24Same foot.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26LAUGHTER
0:31:26 > 0:31:28I've already got it wrong.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34'OK, maybe I spoke a little too soon. It's clear though,
0:31:34 > 0:31:37'these ladies are having plenty of fun together.'
0:31:39 > 0:31:43'I was just trying to put myself in your place when you're going back
0:31:43 > 0:31:46'and this is maybe be the first time you seen some of those people,'
0:31:46 > 0:31:48and the first thing you're doing together is
0:31:48 > 0:31:51- a physical fitness session when you're missing a leg.- Yeah.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53I've got to be fit.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56But, you know, I thought that was quite a brave thing to do.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00A lot of people just sit back and it's, "Woe is me".
0:32:00 > 0:32:02But you don't sit back here.
0:32:02 > 0:32:07- Can you tell you about this place where you're living?- Yeah.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09- This complex, can we call it? - It's lovely.- Is it?
0:32:09 > 0:32:11What is it that makes it so good for you?
0:32:11 > 0:32:17That everybody mucks in. There's always someone here for you.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19We do our bit for each other.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21Making this programme, I've seen the alternative.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25- I've seen people who are incredibly isolated.- Yeah.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29- Who don't have this. - That is down to them.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32- Not always, I don't think it is. - A lot of the time.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36I get the feeling that even what you've gone through,
0:32:36 > 0:32:38that's not going to stop you getting involved, is it?
0:32:38 > 0:32:39No, it's not.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42'You have to admire Mo's attitude and also that of the rest of the
0:32:42 > 0:32:45'residents here, even if they do occasionally make
0:32:45 > 0:32:47'a slightly younger man blush.'
0:32:47 > 0:32:48Oh!
0:32:48 > 0:32:50LAUGHTER
0:32:56 > 0:32:58I'm going to look up again.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00LAUGHTER
0:33:00 > 0:33:04'The class is run by Becky, and I'm guessing she keeps herself
0:33:04 > 0:33:06'fit just trying to keep everyone in line.'
0:33:06 > 0:33:08It's a fabulous group.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11They're very happy and vibrant, great to be around and very
0:33:11 > 0:33:14enthusiastic about the exercises. Very rowdy.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18I find that I come out here with an aching jaw.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22And they might have their aching legs and their aching arms.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24One, two, three, go!
0:33:29 > 0:33:30OK. Cool it down now.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34'They've all said to me how much they are enjoying the classes.'
0:33:34 > 0:33:37I think amongst doing the exercises
0:33:37 > 0:33:41it's a good social impact as well for them.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44So everybody is being able to meet each other and have
0:33:44 > 0:33:46a good laugh along the way.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48'Housing officer Teresa is the one ultimately responsible
0:33:48 > 0:33:50'for the residents' wellbeing,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53'but you get the impression she enjoys the challenge.'
0:33:53 > 0:33:54On the programme,
0:33:54 > 0:33:59- we end up meeting a lot of people who are quite isolated.- Mm-hmm.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03It's such a refreshing thing to see people at this stage in their lives
0:34:03 > 0:34:05- having such a buzz, having such a laugh.- Yeah, it is.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07You've got people who are going through
0:34:07 > 0:34:09some quite big things in their lives.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13At this stage of their lives, big illnesses come in to play,
0:34:13 > 0:34:19like we saw with Mo. Losing partners and friends,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22these are weekly or monthly occurrences for that group.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24The fact that Mo today has been able to
0:34:24 > 0:34:29overcome a massive hurdle by coming into a room full of people
0:34:29 > 0:34:34when she's just a few weeks from leg amputation is absolutely fantastic,
0:34:34 > 0:34:36that she felt welcome enough
0:34:36 > 0:34:40and everybody was so pleased to see her and greeted her.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43And it will be a big boost for her confidence.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46I come away feeling refreshed
0:34:46 > 0:34:48because it's such a happy bunch of people.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50They see people get on like that together,
0:34:50 > 0:34:52it's a wonderful thing, isn't it?
0:34:53 > 0:34:55Come on, now!
0:34:58 > 0:35:00LAUGHTER
0:35:00 > 0:35:04We are doing a sit to stand, see how many we can do in 30 seconds.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06On your marks, get set, go.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12'The residents here are showing no signs of slowing down.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14'I'm just about done in.
0:35:16 > 0:35:21'Of course, sheltered accommodation won't be to everyone's taste
0:35:21 > 0:35:23'but from what I've seen today it could provide
0:35:23 > 0:35:25'a great solution for a lot of older people.'
0:35:27 > 0:35:29CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:35:36 > 0:35:39Earlier, housing officer Grace Briody
0:35:39 > 0:35:40was on the hunt for tenants
0:35:40 > 0:35:43suspected of illegally subletting their properties.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46After discovering one flat that appeared abandoned...
0:35:46 > 0:35:49I've got a notice to quit that I've drafted,
0:35:49 > 0:35:53clearly states that they've got 28 days to get back in contact with us.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56If they don't we'll proceed to end the tenancy.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58..she is now on her way to a second property.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01The housing association has been writing to this tenant
0:36:01 > 0:36:03over allegations they are illegally subletting the property
0:36:03 > 0:36:07to family members. After they have refused to engage,
0:36:07 > 0:36:10Grace has decided it's time for a face-to-face.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12In an ideal world I would love to get there and that the real tenant
0:36:12 > 0:36:15is living there and that there is no drama,
0:36:15 > 0:36:19no issues to deal with.
0:36:19 > 0:36:20That would be ideal.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23We'd like to think that our properties are being resided in
0:36:23 > 0:36:25by the correct tenants.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27I'm not naive enough to think that could be the case.
0:36:27 > 0:36:28I'm going to have to wait and see.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31So what I'm going to do is I'm going to knock on the door.
0:36:31 > 0:36:32If I get an answer,
0:36:32 > 0:36:34I'll be requesting to speak to the main tenant.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Trying to investigate tenants who may be breaking the law
0:36:37 > 0:36:41can be a tricky business, so housing officers have to tread carefully.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44At this point, so early only on,
0:36:44 > 0:36:47it's not advisable to really say what we're doing here
0:36:47 > 0:36:49or to say that we have information
0:36:49 > 0:36:51that conflicts what they are telling us,
0:36:51 > 0:36:53because then people will close down.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56So my main kind of questions are going to be,
0:36:56 > 0:37:00"Hi, can I speak to the tenant?" And if they say, "No",
0:37:00 > 0:37:02"Right, when's the tenant going to be back in?
0:37:02 > 0:37:04"I've been trying to write to her for a couple of months now,
0:37:04 > 0:37:05"still not had any response.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08"A few issues that have popped up with the tenancy
0:37:08 > 0:37:09"that I need to discuss with her.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11"Can you let me know when she'll be home
0:37:11 > 0:37:13"and I'll come and visit on another day?"
0:37:13 > 0:37:15If the property is being sublet to someone unknown
0:37:15 > 0:37:17to the housing association,
0:37:17 > 0:37:21removing them could prove a long and costly legal process.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24So Grace needs to make sure she's doing everything by the book.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26I've got my own fobs.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29I don't like to ring the buzzer, so I need to identify,
0:37:29 > 0:37:30if I do have to start a fraud case,
0:37:30 > 0:37:33physically be able to describe the person that I've spoken with.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36It helps that if for any reason another team
0:37:36 > 0:37:39has to take over the investigation, or one of my colleagues,
0:37:39 > 0:37:41it's important for them to know exactly who I spoke to
0:37:41 > 0:37:44and what they look like so we can get consistency.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47So I won't ring up, I'll get my own entrance and I'll knock on
0:37:47 > 0:37:49the door and see if I can get in.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53Grace has no idea how the tenant might react, especially if they
0:37:53 > 0:37:56are about to be told they could be facing a prison sentence for fraud.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59But she wasn't expecting that.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06An abandoned shopping trolley isn't exactly the warmest welcome.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08And there's something else that is causing concern.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11The door's open. I am going to push the door open and shout in
0:38:11 > 0:38:14because I'm a little bit concerned about what's happening here.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18As you can see the door's been blocked by a shopping trolley.
0:38:20 > 0:38:21SHE KNOCKS ON DOOR
0:38:21 > 0:38:24Grace was expecting to be confronted by at least one tenant here
0:38:24 > 0:38:27so the open door and lack of life is particularly worrying.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29Hello, it's Grace from Hyde Housing.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40The fridge is wide open. Milk from July. Food from July.
0:38:40 > 0:38:41Eggs from July.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44The kitchen doesn't provide much of a clearer picture.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47I'm just going to do a check round property and make sure that
0:38:47 > 0:38:50there is no evidence of anyone still remaining here.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52It certainly doesn't look like there is.
0:38:54 > 0:38:59OK, so we've got... We've got a wheelchair here...
0:38:59 > 0:39:04This we'll arrange to get back to the mobility company
0:39:04 > 0:39:08so hopefully it can be reused by someone, which would be nice.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11They've left... Some items have been left in the property.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13There's a lot of clothes in here.
0:39:13 > 0:39:18It may have been that they had some intentions of returning.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21An abandoned wheelchair is a strange discovery.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24But what Grace finds next is even more surprising.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28There's a prosthetic leg.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30This property is proving to be a real mystery,
0:39:30 > 0:39:33even by a housing officer's standards.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35That's not what I expected to find.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40It may have been that the family who was staying here
0:39:40 > 0:39:42decided that...
0:39:42 > 0:39:45They may have been aware that we were going to come and investigate
0:39:45 > 0:39:48as a result of the lack of contact that we've been having and
0:39:48 > 0:39:51the letters that we've written, although we've not suggested
0:39:51 > 0:39:53in any of our letters that we were going to start investigating.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57But, it happens sometimes.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59As you can see they've taken all of their goods.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02Obviously the warning sign when we came in was the fact that the
0:40:02 > 0:40:04door was being blocked by a shopping trolley.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08Very surprised none of the neighbours reported anything.
0:40:10 > 0:40:15Hello. I'm from Hyde Housing, I'm a housing officer. What's going on?
0:40:15 > 0:40:18A chat with one of the tenants next door reveals no-one
0:40:18 > 0:40:20has been seen in this property for several months.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22If the neighbour is correct and the property
0:40:22 > 0:40:25has been abandoned, Grace's first concern is what has happened
0:40:25 > 0:40:29to the tenants, especially after what she has just found.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31There was obviously somebody that had mobility issues.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35We can see there's a wet room, the wheelchair, the prosthetic leg.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38You know, it's not just the place has been abandoned.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42I need to do some research into who was living here and find out
0:40:42 > 0:40:46where they've moved onto. I've got a duty of care to my resident,
0:40:46 > 0:40:49that still for the next 28 days while we serve a notice to quit,
0:40:49 > 0:40:52it will be the resident, that I actually need to find out
0:40:52 > 0:40:54where they've gone and to check that there is
0:40:54 > 0:40:57no safeguarding or safety issues that we need to be aware of.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59While investigations will begin to track the tenants to see if
0:40:59 > 0:41:02they're OK, Grace will also start work on getting
0:41:02 > 0:41:04this neglected flat back in shape.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06A lot could have gone wrong.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09This could have been squatted in. It could have been broken into.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11There could have been all sorts that this property could have been
0:41:11 > 0:41:14used for. Leaks could have broken out.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17And also what's really sad is that potentially it's been
0:41:17 > 0:41:19abandoned for a couple of months now.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21That's a couple of months that another family could have been
0:41:21 > 0:41:23living here, making use of this property,
0:41:23 > 0:41:24and instead it's just been left.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35We've come here today to do a tenancy audit on the information
0:41:35 > 0:41:37there may be additional people living in the property.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40Did not expect to find the door open
0:41:40 > 0:41:42and the property to have been abandoned.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45Obviously a little bit concerned about what
0:41:45 > 0:41:47has happened to the tenants and I will try and find that out,
0:41:47 > 0:41:50but I'm glad that we've discovered the property.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53If the tenant no longer requires the property,
0:41:53 > 0:41:57whether it's a couple of months down the line, or immediately,
0:41:57 > 0:41:58for us to find that it's been abandoned
0:41:58 > 0:42:02and be able to take immediate action to get it back into a liveable state
0:42:02 > 0:42:04for the next person, absolutely.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06I hate to see empty properties
0:42:06 > 0:42:07when I know there's so many people in need.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10So we can now take action. We'll get the locks changed
0:42:10 > 0:42:12and obviously still attempt to make contact
0:42:12 > 0:42:14with the tenants and really verify,
0:42:14 > 0:42:19clarify that they are no longer wishing to remain in this property.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21After that visit, Grace swung into action.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25At the first property, the eviction process is now in progress.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28Once complete, the flat will be prepared for a new tenant.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30While at the mysteriously abandoned second property,
0:42:30 > 0:42:34Grace has been able to confirm the resident has moved on.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36So that too is in the process of being made
0:42:36 > 0:42:38into a much-needed home for a new family.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47It's clear that even though the job of a housing officer can be tough,
0:42:47 > 0:42:49it's certainly never dull.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51Every front door offers a different challenge.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54So join me next time, when I'll be back on the front line
0:42:54 > 0:42:56with the men and women across the UK
0:42:56 > 0:43:00fighting for your right to a safe and secure place to call home.