Episode 2 Neighbourhood Watched

This programme contains some strong language.

An estimated one in six people live in social housing, and the waiting lists are growing.

For every person you make happy, there will probably be

three or four times as many who are disappointed.

-Britain's housing officers are on the front line.

-Jeanette, can you let me in?

It's just like nothing you've ever smelt before.

They deal with over 11 million tenants day in, day out.

Oh, I don't believe you've let him out!

Most are good tenants,

but a few risk everything with their antisocial behaviour.

His tenancy is on a knife-edge.

If they want to try taking it, they'll have to take it with me on it.

Eviction is the last thing that we want to do,

but we've got to do it for the sake of the community.

Every week there's a different set of problems.

BANGING AND SHOUTING

To behave like that in the middle of the night is absolutely atrocious.

Our kids have grown up with it.

-RECORDING:

-Where the fucking hell have you been all night?

That's nowt, that.

The issue with crack dens

is obviously the damage that comes with it.

Taking boilers, radiators.

It's very rare that you get a property with this many needles.

If I seem desperate, it's cos I am desperate at the moment.

I need to get a new life.

You can't really envisage it

being the answer to somebody's prayers at the minute.

There are currently around 5 million people

on waiting lists for social housing in the UK.

And with homes in seriously short supply,

there is often little choice about where you live

and who you live next to.

On an estate east of Manchester, it's 2am,

and a young tenant and her partner are disturbing their neighbours.

INDISTINCT SHOUTING

Kerry and Greg and their three children

have lived next door for five years.

MAN SHOUTS

WOMAN SHOUTS

Another night with no sleep and er...

On and off since...

Been continuous now for the past half an hour, swearing.

I'm stood here because, if I go to bed,

I won't be able to sleep anyway because they're still kicking off.

She's in the garden now

and I just need to know that they've both calmed down and gone to bed,

cos otherwise if something happens to either of them, I'll feel guilty.

Kerry and Greg are shift workers

and the disturbances have become part of their family life.

They'll probably do it again now, tomorrow as well,

so I'll go, like, three days with no bloody sleep.

Cos we've still got to do the normal stuff, you know,

the kids have still got to go to school, still got to be fed,

you still got to do every normal day-to-day thing,

but just with no sleep.

Shall I cut you some pink for inside his ears?

The family have lived with the problem ever since

their neighbour moved in, four years ago.

You can do whichever colour?

Whatever colour you want, it can be a multicoloured giraffe.

Green or blue?

Er, red.

My kids have grown up with it,

they've had sleepless nights.

My 10-year-old wrote a diary last year about it

and wrote rude words in it, swear words in it,

everything they were saying at 2 o'clock in the morning.

I don't think there's anything worse than

having something that's completely beyond your control,

but it's affecting your life day in, day out.

When the housing association have issued warnings,

things have improved,

but the late-night disturbances always start up again.

Today, Kerry and Greg are meeting their housing officers,

Penny Moss and Ann Jackson.

So you've had some contact with her in the past about the antisocial behaviour?

Have you knocked on and approached her?

At the beginning, we did.

Yeah, but just asked her to turn the music down and she'd say, "All right, sorry," and turn it down.

But when she's out of her face at two in the morning, she don't care then.

We just want to take down what's happened recently

and how we can move forward.

The 8th, Tuesday the 8th, that was 4pm in the afternoon,

the music went on full blast

and they didn't stop till 7am the following morning.

The police were called out four times that night. I called them twice.

-The week before that...

-The chainsaw.

..they had the chainsaw out, which I phoned the police about then.

You're talking a big proper petrol chainsaw,

you're not talking about a little... something like a garden strimmer or something.

Me and Ann will give you our direct numbers and I'll give you me e-mail address.

Anything you want to do, just contact us directly.

I just want to get it sorted.

-All right, thanks for coming in.

-Thanks very much for your time.

-Bye now.

-See ya.

The tenant shouldn't be causing this trouble on the estate. She's had cautions.

The neighbours shouldn't have to live like that

and something's going to be done about it.

When people do come in,

you can see that they do need some support or help.

Your heart does go out to them, you want to do as much as you can

to put them in the right place or give them the support they need.

So when you can't offer them that support,

you do feel terrible about it, you do, it does weigh on you,

you feel like, is there nothing else, is there no other way around it?

In Earlham, west of Manchester,

one family desperately need help to find a new home.

Sorry, babe, you all right?

Watch your eyes.

For seven years, Joanne's partner Scott

has been sleeping in the lounge of their housing association home.

A degenerative back condition means he can't use the stairs.

It doesn't matter how quiet I am.

You always think, "Well, has he had a good night?

"Has he been up all night?"

What time did you finally get to sleep?

I've had about a couple of hours, at most probably.

What lessons have you got today?

You can't find your homework.

The lounge, which is also Scott's bedroom,

is used by the whole family.

Sorry, babe, I was too busy.

Hold on a sec.

I used to have lovely legs, didn't I?

Yep, gorgeous legs.

I was 28 when I met Scott.

-We actually didn't like each other, we hated each other.

-We were complete opposites.

And then one day, he walked into me back garden,

smiled at me and I thought, "I want to spend the rest of my life with him,"

so things just completely changed.

13 years later, life has become very strained,

and their home is far from suitable.

Scott's makeshift bathroom is a commode under the stairs.

When we first found out you used to say to me,

"Why are you still with me?" and you used to feel you weren't good enough.

But what you forget is I don't see you with a wheelchair,

I still see the same person I met 13 years ago.

The couple have tried to manage,

but now have finally asked for help from their housing association.

I should have actually told them years ago that I needed help,

but what with... for certain reasons I didn't.

It's more embarrassment cos you thought they'd laugh at you, or...

Just embarrassed. I mean, I've still not been out in this wheelchair yet,

just a bit embarrassed, that's all, do you know what I mean?

A quarter of the tenants in Scott and Joanne's area have a disability.

The housing officer looking after them all is 25-year-old Jen Bradley.

Ideally we need a property that's got, like,

what's classically known as a parlour-style property,

or one with a separate dining room to living room and kitchen,

so that we could convert it into a bedroom.

Although Scott's medical needs make their case a priority,

suitable properties hardly ever come up.

I think everyone in the office is fed up of me saying,

"Is that the parlour style?" as they come in.

Or it's me on the phone saying, "Have you found me one yet?"

Have you considered mutual exchanges?

-We'd consider owt at the moment.

-Anything?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

We're willing to look at anything at the moment.

They're a really nice family.

They're the type of people that make the job worthwhile cos

you do just want to help them.

It's hard cos they want time frames,

to know that at Christmas they'll be living somewhere suitable

and we can't say to them that they will.

To the east of Manchester,

Kerry and her family have had another bad night.

It was a bit quiet when I got home and then

when I was watching Holby City you could hear 'em rowing

over Holby City and then straight through Big Brother.

I went to bed at 11 o'clock and just continuously from 11 o'clock...

So I phoned the police at 4 o'clock this morning.

And the kids were awake as well, so the kids are tired.

It's ridiculous.

What I'm conscious about is the fact that she's had two cautions that we know of which is...

This morning, Penny is discussing the case with Alan Kibble, head of tenancy enforcement.

Looking through the file, when we do any sort of intervention,

whether it be caution or whatever,

there's always an element of quietening down then...

-Yeah.

-..and then it starts up again.

So obviously the interventions that we're doing don't seem to be working on a long-term basis.

Not at all, no.

It's very difficult to comprehend why ASB occurs.

Drink, drugs, relationship breakdown, domestic violence.

We always try to identify what the core is, what's causing the problem,

and once we've identified the problem we'll try to deal with that.

If that's unsuccessful and they fail to engage,

that's when we have to look at enforcement action.

I'll get a couple of pinholes and everything else sorted out for this.

Yeah, we'll just set this one up first.

An important step in enforcement action is gathering covert recordings.

These can then be used as evidence in legal action.

Today, Ivan Wright from the enforcement team is

installing surveillance equipment in Kerry and Greg's kitchen.

If the music's playing pretty loud, you can hear it.

Like I say, it's not the music beca...

-Yeah, with them screaming and shouting.

-I can sleep through music,

I'm not bothered, I know that me kids aren't going to hear things,

but last night the things that she was shouting and saying to him...

Me last recording's about 4 o'clock in the morning.

Just listen to that.

INDISTINCT SHOUTING

That's in your bedroom?

That's in my bedroom and I've got a landing and a bathroom

between my bedroom and their house.

Kerry and Greg aren't the only ones affected.

Other residents have also complained.

Angela's house looks directly out onto the noisy tenants' back yard.

You try to ignore it for a while but

then they just get louder and louder and it's hard to ignore.

Some of the things when they're shouting, you just want to

get your kids and shut the back door

cos of the language that they're coming out with.

So, it's not fair.

You know, they make more noise than all the kids on the street, I think.

I think it's that chaotic a household that you can't

really predict what could happen, what I'm likely to see.

The housing association have tried to arrange several meetings

with the disruptive tenant.

This afternoon, she's failed to turn up yet again.

-You weren't convinced she'd come, were you, to be honest?

-No.

You weren't convinced she'd come, were you, today?

They try her home instead.

Don't hear a sound.

INAUDIBLE

Have you got a calling card?

What we'll do now is, we'll try and speak to her again, make another appointment,

and, even in the meantime, it's still a case of gathering evidence.

Housing associations are non-profit organisations

and rent collections fund the billion pounds

they spend on major repairs every year.

There's rarely enough money to go round,

and one of the biggest frustrations is cash spent

fixing properties which have been deliberately damaged.

In Greater Manchester, housing manager Sean Ellam

has been called to an emergency in one of the 6,000 properties he oversees.

The flat has reportedly been left in a terrible state by drug users.

Obviously the issue with crack dens such as this and the damage that comes with it,

quite easily people will infiltrate the property.

They'll be in there straightaway, taking boilers, radiators,

whatever they can get their hands on, basically,

possibly sold, and obviously they can fund some drug use.

He's meeting police at the flat...

All the troops are arriving now.

..uncertain of whether the tenant or anyone else will be in the property.

On Friday, we did a lock change, so we believed that the property was secure.

And one of the neighbours has been on today saying that people are still going in and out.

Not going to be able to get in there, are we?

Have you got the keys?

Just more concerned for the welfare of the tenant as much as anything else.

Obviously he's not answering any of his own personal contact numbers.

-I don't know, there's no-one in, though.

-Right.

The property must be secured.

But before workmen can begin, they need to clear some of the needles.

More needles.

It's very rare that you get a property with this many needles,

and that the issues are obviously that bad.

The damage inside is extensive,

and anything of value has been stripped out.

The boiler's gone, the pipes and wiring have been ripped from the walls

and they have even taken the kitchen sink.

Disgusting in there.

Been using the bucket for a toilet.

The tenant hasn't paid his rent for four months,

and Sean doesn't know whether he is safe,

or if he has let anyone else use the flat.

Generally, looking about, there is post,

and it is addressed to the tenant, so...

..from that point of view,

there's nothing else to suggest that anybody else is here.

The next step is make sure we make contact with him obviously.

We don't know if this tenant is going to talk to us yet,

or if he's going to co-operate.

It's six months since Joanne and Scott registered to move,

and they are still waiting for a larger home.

If we don't get a bigger house, I could get a smaller family.

So if we get rid of you and we get rid of her, and get rid of...

Argh, me toe!

SCOTT CHUCKLES

Give some bits to your rabbits.

-Hold on. Stop. Have you done it?

-Yeah.

Oh, you've got the door frame at the side.

Joanne is doing everything she can to help find a new home.

A friend of mine says one of these is empty.

She's keeping an eye on any properties nearby that become vacant.

No, it's only a one-bedroomed.

Nice try.

I've done a couple of cards and, hopefully, I might get a phone call.

Hi, are you OK?

I've got advertisement, could you put it in the window for me, please?

50 pence a week, lovely.

Well, I'm now looking for mutual exchanges...

I was wondering, could you put this in the window for me?

..which is two City West occupants

looking at exchanging with one another.

Hiya, I've got a card. Am I all right just to put it straight up?

OK, thank you.

On the nearby Crossfield estate,

there are a number of suitable parlour-style properties.

And it's where Joanne and Scott lived when they first met.

Just here, on the left, is where Scott used to live,

top floor on the left-hand side.

So it's a lot of memories on this estate.

If one of these properties was to become empty,

it would be ideal for all the needs of our family.

I might be giving myself false hopes,

and that's what I don't want to do,

because at the moment there's no empty properties.

So...I feel a bit sad, but happy.

Maybe one day I could be in one of these houses

and me life'll start again.

In Ashton-under-Lyne, Sean is searching for the tenant

from the damaged flat.

I've gone through some of the tenant's details on our systems.

He's given his mother's address and contact on previous forms,

so that's where I've got the details from.

So I'm just going to ring her to make her aware that there are issues at the property.

Hi, my name's Sean Ellam. I'm ringing from New Charter.

In respect of your son, have you got any contact details cos,

I don't know if you've been back to the property,

but we've had to secure the property.

Am I right in thinking that your son's got no intention

to return to that flat? He hasn't.

Obviously, I wouldn't mind coming to see you.

I'm just looking at my calendar now.

3 o'clock's fine, yeah.

No problem, I'll see you tomorrow.

Thanks. Bye.

The tenant's mum Jean lives across town from her son's flat.

For the last six years,

she has seen her son Kane battle with heroin addiction.

'When he's off the smack, he's a completely different lad.

'You could trust him with your life.

'But not anymore when he's on smack.

'Well, I'll either get a phone call that he's stuck in the gutter somewhere,

'or he's gone to jail for stealing.

'Y-You just feel like you're banging your head against a brick wall.'

Yeah, that's Kane when he was a baby,

a little one when he just started school.

He's a beautiful singer.

He's got a lovely voice. Yeah, I've had that trained.

That was supposed to be why he was carrying on at college,

you know, to be an actor or a singer or whatever he wanted to be,

but it didn't turn out like that.

The damage to Kane's flat is likely to cost thousands of pounds,

and Sean needs to find out who's responsible.

He's arranged to meet Kane's mum,

and he's hoping she'll be able to help.

There's a few instances where you come across these crack dens

and sort of people coming and going at all hours.

Obviously, in this case,

we're not 100% sure how long it's been going on,

so we need to get to the bottom of it.

There's a surprise at Jean's flat.

Kane is there.

He's done his hair an' all. He weren't on the toilet, he...

How long have the problems been going on?

Three or four weeks after I moved in.

Once people found out that I'd got me own place to stay,

you know, they were coming round all the time and,

you know, it became quite intense really fast.

Right. What type of drugs were being used at the property, was it heroin?

Heroin yeah, yeah.

I was addicted to heroin meself personally.

Were these people people that you knew or...?

They were associates, people I knew of, you know.

I wouldn't ever class them as friends or anything like that.

Is there any reason why you didn't sort of get in touch with New Charter earlier?

I-I don't know. I just, I needed to get out,

but I couldn't see the wood for the trees, if you know what I mean?

-Yeah.

-Everything was just so intense.

But you'd left Mark in there, hadn't you,

so that his flat would be OK.

He left his so-called friend in there.

But ultimately, you know, as the tenant,

it was your responsibility to take control of your situation and those people.

I think when you're on drugs, you don't have a responsibility, do you?

You know... And somebody's pressurising you as well,

you don't realise what-what they're doing.

It's really difficult not to be a bit sceptical, really.

You know, or you feel, that you're being told half a story.

To suggest that Kane had no prior knowledge that this was happening,

I think is a bit of a long shot, to be honest.

INDISTINCT SHOUTING

You can hear shouting there, can't you?

THEY TALK OVER EACH OTHER

To the east of Manchester,

the problems with the disruptive tenant haven't improved.

A week after Ivan installed CCTV,

he's reviewing the recordings with Alan.

That's her. That's her coming out, isn't it?

From midnight, we've got the tenants that are responsible, in and out of the house,

they're shouting at each other, they're bringing out the dog.

To behave like that in the middle of the night is absolutely atrocious.

And it's all been captured on film now.

INDISTINCT SHOUTING

With clear video evidence, Alan must discuss the case

with housing association lawyer Paul Wilson.

96 incidents on the composite schedule of incidents.

THEY TALK OVER EACH OTHER

Yeah, and since May this year - 24.

-Right.

-So in the last month, we've got 24 incidents.

So it's ramped up over the last month.

We've had interaction with the family intervention in the past.

-Right.

-She fails to engage.

OK.

What do you think, initial...?

In view of the fact that she's not had any other formal intervention,

other than cautions and warnings,

then realistically you should be looking at injunctive relief,

-that's your first port of call...

-Right, OK.

..against both of them. It doesn't matter that he's not a tenant.

We can take action against him as an occupier of the property.

Fine. Excellent, excellent. Thank you very much.

-All righty.

-Thank you, Paul.

The housing association will now apply to the courts

for an injunction against the noisy tenant.

The best tool that we have to combat antisocial behaviour

is the antisocial behaviour injunction.

It's a fantastic success rate,

and it's a much better tool to use than go down the eviction route,

where you're putting somebody out of a home,

where, potentially, you might be moving the problem on.

So we would always look at an injunction first of all.

An injunction doesn't ask anybody to do something that they wouldn't normally do,

if they were being a normal, respectable member of the community.

And if you don't want to be that, then you suffer the consequences.

This is the start of a process that could take months.

And Kerry and Greg have decided they want to move.

We don't want to be in this type of environment.

We don't feel like this is our home. This is a house we live in.

We can't make it our home because of what's going on.

So, from initially getting this house,

and thinking we could do loads of fabulous things with it and being very excited,

we're no longer happy.

Although it's not standard procedure,

Alan has agreed to ask the lettings team if they can find a new home

for Kerry and Greg because of the extreme nature of their situation.

There's been a lot of intervention work and a lot of activity going on,

but this lady's had to put up with it for such a long time...

It goes against the grain a bit to move the victim, cos we don't like to do that,

but I really think that in this case, she probably does deserve consideration of it.

-Whatever we come out with, I'll let you know, give you the outcome of that.

-OK.

I just don't know when a property's going to be ready, that's all.

No, I understand that, I understand that.

The main reason a managed move into another area is the right thing to do in this case

is because of the prolonged period of time

that this particular witness has had to put up with this upsetting behaviour.

Now, we are going to resolve it. That's not an issue.

It's not that... We're not moving her cos we're not going to resolve it,

but she's very keen to move. I think she's just had enough.

Every year, government provides around £300 million for disabled adaptations.

But it's believed that's only a tenth of what's needed.

I've put everything in this suitcase, all our pictures and memorabilia.

In Earlham, Joanne and Scott are still waiting for news about a move to a more suitable home.

That was a collage we started, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

-Never finished it.

There's you when I first met you on that...

Oh, didn't I look healthy then?

-Look at all...

-I know, it all needs sorting out.

If you counted them, there must be over a thousand pictures there, in't there? Brilliant, that.

-There's you when you was younger.

-That's when I was really healthy.

Hey, do you remember that?

You made me that when we had no money one year.

Yeah, I must have been drunk when I made that!

And Sue, she was born.

Dead proud dad.

Still am.

JOANNE LAUGHS

On the Crossfield Estate, where Joanne and Scott once lived,

there is a tenant Jen has been trying to work with for the last four months.

He's in a home that's much too big for him.

We've been trying to gain access to this property for the longest time

I think that I've ever tried to access a property,

but hopefully today this'll be the end of a long battle to gain access.

We'll just try, just in case he's in.

Try round the back?

The three-bedroomed parlour style house

is occupied by a single elderly man who they suspect can't cope.

-You didn't really come dressed for it, Jo.

-I didn't, did I?

He's agreed to let Jen and support worker Joanne Gallagher inside,

but doesn't want to be in when they visit.

Can you actually get in?

JEN GAGS

-JEN COUGHS You all right?

-Mm-hm.

The current tenant needs to be moved somewhere easier to manage.

This house could then become a home for a family.

-Are you going to come in, Jen, or are you all right?

-Yeah, no, I'm coming in.

I don't know how I'm going to get in.

-There's a lot of...

-Sour milk.

That bath's not been used for a long time.

The house has the potential to be what Joanne and Scott need,

IF it's possible to adapt it.

Just need to gauge how big that toilet is.

But there's a complication.

New downstairs bedroom for Scott.

-Oh, gosh!

-Can you see where the stud wall's come out?

-Yeah.

So, unless we can get asset management to put the stud wall back...

-Yeah.

-..then it's not suitable,

which is a shame cos other than that it is...

It's got the downstairs toilet.

Jen will have to get approval for the extensive funds

needed to renovate and adapt the property for Scott and Joanne.

But if it's turned down, this could still make

a good new home for another family from the waiting list.

In Ashton-under-Lyne, one housing association

has 8,000 households waiting for a home.

Any abandoned properties they have

need to be cleared and re-let as soon as possible.

This morning, Kane's old flat is being emptied.

It needs substantial repairs that will take weeks

and cost thousands of pounds before a new tenant can be moved in.

I'm just going through the recharges at the property,

you know, some of the damage that's caused

when they're ripping wire out of the walls and stuff.

Taking a kitchen sink.

Not sure how much you're going to get for that.

To even think of taking a door knocker off the front door if they're going to weigh something in.

It's pretty shocking, really, when you look at the extent of the damage that's been caused

and to suggest that that could happen in such a short period of time without Kane knowing is...

Well, I'm not going to say it's impossible,

but I find it quite hard to believe, really.

Recently, Kane's been staying on sofas with his mum and other friends.

Obviously, I know it was my flat,

but I know that I haven't caused that damage.

D-D-Do you understand what I mean?

It wasn't...

It wasn't me that did that, do you know,

because I wasn't there.

Sometimes in life, things happen out of our control.

We can't do anything about it, we can't change it,

what's done's done.

The housing association need to make a final decision

about who will pay for the damage,

so today Sean is discussing the case with other managers.

We can only go off the information that we've been given.

His story is that he didn't think anybody had access to the property.

It's too much to wager on,

a person who was using drugs at the time, you know.

This has happened over a period of time. It's not happened overnight.

He's made no attempt to notify us and now we're taking his word

on the fact that he was driven out of his property.

He might have just decided to walk out.

Well, he might. That's why he's still responsible.

Yeah, but I think at that point we then need...

Is he responsible for everything?

And I think he should be responsible for that as well.

Well, so do I.

He is responsible as the tenant for the damage that was caused.

While Kerry and Greg wait to be re-housed,

there's no sign of a let-up from next door.

Last night, about half past one,

I was woke up by her absolutely screaming her head off.

It was awful.

MAN SHOUTS INAUDIBLY

'Where the fucking hell have you been all night?'

That's nowt, that.

And it's not like you're hanging out the window or something.

That's what we can hear in our bathroom, bedrooms.

That's nothing as well, you know what I mean?

She's being quite civil, to be honest.

BANGING

That's her smashing something against the wall.

I've got nowt against these people cos they've never physically done anything to me,

except this, and obviously what the kids have got to put up with,

but she's got problems from somewhere.

She's certainly got no inhibitions, has she?

The mounting evidence against the disruptive tenant

has now led to an injunction being granted against her.

And Alan and Ivan need to serve it.

She's apparently in the property,

but whether she'll answer the door is another kettle of fish.

INDISTINCT SHOUTING

'Get the fuck out of me house! Get out!

'Get the fuck out of my house!'

THEY KNOCK AGAIN

-ANGRILY:

-What?

INAUDIBLE

The tenant does not want to be filmed.

The injunction outlines conditions of behaviour to adhere to.

If they don't comply, it could lead to eviction or even a prison sentence.

We explained each part of the injunction to her,

so she understands completely what she can't do.

It's basically any kind of activity

that's likely to cause harassment or alarm to the neighbours.

From now on, if anything happens, then it'll be treated as contempt of court.

Less than a fortnight later,

there is CCTV evidence of further disturbances.

-He's got his dog off the lead and her shouting.

-They've just come back and kicked the...

He just comes in and leathers the door a few times so it goes through.

In one incident, the police were called after a visitor woke up the street by kicking the back door in.

BANGING

The breaches are very, very well evidenced and the breaches are totally unacceptable.

Alan's only option now is stronger legal action.

In Earlham, the tenant of the parlour-style property on the Crossfield estate

has been successfully re-housed.

The clearout team are coming today

to start to empty the property out of all the rubbish.

Massive job.

Only once the rubbish is cleared can a decision be made

on whether the adaptations are possible.

Once it's empty,

and I can get the surveyor in to look at what is actually needed,

I'm hoping at that point he'll agree that the rooms are big enough,

the work can be done,

between asset management and needs and adaptations,

to make it suitable.

You can't really envisage it being

the answer to somebody's prayers at the minute,

but if it's possible, it'll be a nice home for them,

for Joanne and Scott.

Finally, with the property cleared, the surveyors are able to inspect it

and make a decision about its suitability.

That's asbestos in there, so we'll have to get that sorted out.

The electrics need upgrading as well.

Hopefully, if it's big enough,

this room will be a walk-in shower, level-access shower.

We'll sort something.

And what we can do is make a wider door for the wheelchair, yeah?

-That can quite simply go back up with a wider doorway?

-Yeah.

Where would you put the opening?

-There.

-Right.

So they can get the bed down that side.

-Thank you.

-All right.

You're my favourite surveyor.

It's possible.

Three days before Christmas,

and Jen has made an appointment to see Joanne and Scott.

Oh, I think it'll mean the world to them today.

That's their light at the end of the tunnel. I can't wait.

I've got some good news for you.

-You've got a new property.

-Oh, thank you.

It couldn't be any more perfect for you.

God, you can perform miracles! And how have you done this?

It's been ongoing in the background for a long time.

I don't know what else to say now, I'm speechless!

Have a nice Christmas and I will see you next year now.

-Thank you.

-Happy new year to you, Jen. Thank you very much.

'It's not often that you can do it.

'This has just happened because two things have fell into line which have really worked out well,

'so it doesn't happen often, but it is good when it does happen.'

Can I give you a hug and say thank you? Cheers, thanks for everything.

-See you next year.

-All right.

-See you later, Scott.

See you, Jen. Thank you very much.

Three months after he abandoned his flat,

Kane still has no permanent place to live.

It affects you in so many different ways not having a place to settle,

and actually somewhere to call home, basically.

Kane's mum wants to give him a second chance,

and is hoping that they can get a two-bedroom flat together.

I can't go private because...

..I've used all me money up buying drugs for Kane,

I hadn't said that before.

And I know a lot of people will say, "Oh, a mother doesn't do that,"

but when you see your son suffering like I've seen my son suffer,

you'd do anything.

Absolutely anything.

I'd rather buy his drugs than him going stealing off anybody,

knocking old ladies about and things like that.

It's as pink as the rest of her.

This morning, mother and son have come to the housing association

to ask for a home together.

But lettings co-ordinator Tina McBride

wants to talk to Kane about the damage to his old flat.

Hiya, do you want to come this way?

Right, you are aware that the issues at the tenancy -

you are responsible for that, you signed the tenancy agreement.

We do still have concerns about the conduct

and you never approached New Charter

to let them know that you had any issues...

Yeah, we did.

That, that was, that was before...

I did. I wrote them a letter and I wrote to the councillor of Ashton...

-Right.

-..and he's wrote back to me.

I've spoken to Sean, he's gone through all the records,

-we haven't got anything that's been sent through to ourselves.

-Right.

I've been in touch with Revenues.

That's a copy of the letter they wanted me to give to you.

-It outlines the actual how much is owed to us.

-Right.

Erm, and it does come to a substantial amount at the moment.

It's... The total balance at the moment is £7,045,

and that's not including your rent arrears.

With that current level of debt that is owed to us,

and the issues you had in regards to your tenancy

means that we can't consider you for accommodation at this moment in time.

-All right.

-And there is also a standing order payment card

for you to set up an arrangement. OK?

-OK, then. Is that it, yeah?

-That's it.

-Right, thank you very much.

The housing association have asked Kane to pay the money back at £3.55 a week.

Thank you for all your help.

That was a load of codswallop,

Council's supposed to help people, you know,

that are trying to get on with their lives,

and all they're doing is pulling them down all the time.

So I'm not happy.

They're charging me for... Oh, my God!

..to rewire the entire property including meters, came to...

Why are they rewiring it?

Cos someone's obviously pulled the wiring out, ain't they?

£3,143.76.

Then to clear out the property and dispose of items...

Are you ready? Sit down ..£525.36.

Renewal of WC pedestal, £88.20 for a toilet. Are you taking t'piss?

I've seen less shit in a sewerage works. That's disgraceful.

£7,348.57.

I want to go, I don't want to be here.

How am I supposed...? I've never seen seven grand.

I've never seen £7,000 in my life.

They've more chance of me walking through Ashton,

which I'm never going to do, totally naked,

and I'd do that before I'll pay that.

No chance. Let me put it away cos it's knocking me sick.

I need to go home.

Today, Kerry and Greg are moving out.

This one's Kerry's. That's why it weighs loads more!

The housing association have found them a home

in a different neighbourhood.

Even though it's been an upheaval,

everybody's happy now we know we're getting out of this.

Me children are really happy about moving because,

even though we've got a garden here,

they've never been able to really use it without incidences from next door.

The latest problem from next door

led to the tenant being arrested for breaching her injunction.

But at least for Kerry and Greg it's over.

This is the end of it for us.

You know, we can finally get on. It's great!

So, no there's no sadness involved about going.

In Earlham, it's moving day for Scott and Joanne, too,

as their new home is finally ready.

I'm going to start me new life in a new home.

So, bye, everybody!

Today means happiness for me and Scott as a partnership.

It means me kids having a better life.

-It looks good so far.

-I know.

-Welcome.

-Ready?

We've got miles more space than what we had in the other place, haven't we?

The difference there is massive.

I was basically squeezing through the other ones.

It's brilliant.

I can have a shower.

For so long she's been giving me bed baths,

and after a bit, it gets a bit boring.

Jen has come round to see how the family are settling in.

It's been years since he's had a bath or a shower.

I like the fact your shower gel's in there already!

-That's for you, kiddo.

-Oh, thank you.

No problem. You've done beyond what you had to do for us.

And without getting a bit emotional and stuff...

Do you know what I mean? Brilliant.

Aw, thank you.

It's about seeing the difference that it is going to make to Scott,

like bathroom and a toilet and things like that, things we all take for granted.

I think that's the best part of it, opposed to receiving flowers.

But that is nice, too!

I just can't wait to get back into a routine again now.

I'm just totally made up with it.

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