A LEADING social housing campaigner has won a national award for his work highlighting the appalling living conditions of some social housing tenants in the UK.
Kwajo Tweneboa 23, from Mitcham, south London, has won the prestigious Sheila McKechnie Young Campaigner Award 2022, for his tireless work exposing the squalid conditions that some social housing tenants live in across Britain.
Mr Tweneboa uses social media to share videos of tenants who live in inhumane homes with disrepair, damp, mould, mice infestations and broken toilets.
His viral videos have shamed landlords into carrying out the necessary repairs and in some cases families have been moved to new accommodation.
Speaking on his win, Mr Tweneboa said: “It is an honour to be win Young Campaigner Award, not because of the work that I have done so far but being able to highlight the subject for thousands who are currently suffering without a voice.
“It feels they are finally being listened to.
“This win shows how close the issue is to so many hearts and for that I am grateful.”
Outside of his activism, Mr Tweneboa is also a business studies student, studying at the University of Leicester.
He knows first-hand the detrimental impact poor social housing can have on families.
In February, he told The Voice, he experienced living in severe disrepair in his flat on the Eastfields Estate – while his father was terminally ill.
In 2018, he lived with mould and damp, cockroaches and mice after moving into a flat he rents from his housing association landlord Clarion.
According to Mr Tweneboa the conditions were so bad, his family couldn’t use their kitchen or bathroom and he was forced to shower at his local gym.
“There is definitely an element of racism and discrimination within social housing, the fact that my dad had to use his British middle name instead of his Ghanaian name, to get taken more seriously on the phone or to feel like he would be, is a huge problem,” he told The Voice, in February.
Repairs have since been made to Mr Tweneboa’s home but he says he won’t stop exposing housing associations and councils until everyone has a decent home to live in.
He said: “I decided to put my foot down and say enough is enough, not just for myself but millions of social housing tenants across the UK.”
His work is continuing to make a difference to tenants and the housing sector.
Since its public shaming, Clarion claims to have knocked on the door of ‘each and every home’ in Eastfields to tell residents of its plans for the area.
It says it has completed more than 600 repairs on Eastfields since June 2021, as well as 24 kitchen and bathroom replacements.
SMK Awards judge Patrick Steen said: “Congratulations to Kwajo Tweneboa for the SMK Young Campaigner Award. He is basically the Marcus Rashford for the social housing world.
“Kwajo, through the poor housing conditions of his father’s circumstances, has been able to shine a light on the injustices and complacency of major social landlord in taking their tenants for granted through using video recordings and social media platforms to name and shame landlords in to actions by campaigning and advocating for others.
“He is an inspiration to us all and has given hope to many tenants in dire housing conditions and disrepair”.
Mr Tweneboa’s advocacy has not gone unnoticed, he has been featured in The Big Issue’s list of Top 100 Changemakers.
He also recently met with Secretary of State Michael Gove and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to advise on changes to housing regulation.
Dragon’s Den star Steven Bartlett, has recently backed Mr Tweneboa’s initiative and donated £10,000 to fund his work.
Congratulations Kwajo!
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6 Comments
Fantastic and a tremendous effort to highlight the plight of many in social housing.
Having worked in housing for many years very few organisations listen to black and ethnic minorities tenants of there own staff about many of the issues people of colour come up against. Those who have language difficulties and those with disabilities are discriminated against the most and always put to the bottom of the pile. It becomes a tiresome exercise for most black members of staff.
Selective nominations for people on the waiting lists with some not keen to select black and minority tenants. It’s even worse for those trying to use the resettlement process.
Pls forward to Kwajo Tweneboa.
Hi. I am a tenant of appalling landlords. Riverside Housing. They are huge and getting bigger. The rent on my flat is controlled but Riverside charge a huge and unjustified sum for Service Charges.
I see you are studying at Leicester University. My flat is just across Victoria Park, in Avenue Road, Clarendon Park.
I hope you can help.
Yours
Philip Draycott
I was in an temporary accomodation for 15 Years ..
I was moved from damp and mould to damp and mould…
The council were teaming up with the landlord to ignore me..
They leave people in these conditions on purpise to force them into private accomodation or so they can stop paying rent so they can evict them…
I suffered from
Depression
Anxiety
Eating and Sleeping disorder
Skin problems ..
I became anti social because of the smell on me ,
Everything on me smelt of damp
I lost friends because I could not invite people to my home …
Each time I was told it wss my fault because I had to much things .
I was branded as a nuisance lies were made up about me everytime I complained …
I lost furniture pictures friends opportunities all through the damp and mould I was forced to live in ..
It was very sad , really sad ..
I was close to hurting myself many many times
I wrote to the MP and the counsil told similar lies to the MP.
The council have alot to do with this but they are pretending as if they do not know the conditions I was living .
The Ombudsmen said that I should be given compensation but the council never gave it to me ..
I am happy to show you pictures of my property then .
I also will show you the property I was given after my hard work campaigning to save me and my families health..
Kind regards
Patience Udofah..
I am a disabled woman wheelchair user black Caribbean I have been treated appalling you buy my private landlords about repairs my local authority doesn’t really want to get involved is going backwards and forwards I live near grenfell Tower I’m affected by the situation and I’ve been punished or bullies why the landlord and authority that RBKC they rather me go into sheltered housing instead serving the landlord with negligence sleep in damp room no heating in my bedroom for 7 years my kitchen is so so unfit for human habitation mice running around and and rats the landlord is l&q they don’t all I want is a decent home and if if my authority RBKC I cannot deal with it and fling it it back to the landlord is going inefficace circle and this has been going on for years I have cerebral palsy and without heating it’s horrendous I have asthma because of the property I cannot eat in my kitchen because of the vermin dropping in my kitchen I have have neutropenia that means low white cells and that can make me very ill especially in the winter months all I ask ask is to be me back to my council that was RBKC where any Ne-Yo repairs need to be done was done they didn’t take years I would like someone to change the policy of housing especially vulnerable people living with greedy landlords and also so the authority we live they have to take responsibility and do not ignore or medical advice from hospitals and general practitioners if if the landlord cannot take responsibility of of physical disabilities and care for them of duty of care they appalling housing play Should Have of time to rectify the problem if they cannot they have to refer back to the authority Who said the property is suitable for them and the landlord should be script of their licence and and pay pay compensation to the Resident who has suffered mentally and physically
Please Forward to Kwajo
I live in a top floor flat of a converted house under Lambeth council. In 2020 Lambeth Council decided to give the house a new roof during which time i had leaks coming through where the roof was not covered correct when raining now the roof is done and 3 years later i am waiting for the remedial work to be done i have black mould in my front room damp patches that are becoming more prominent in the bedroom there is not a room in my flat that is not affected also the communal hall/stairway showing brick work and plaster its a disgrace and nothing seems to be done
Amazed by KwJao activism and renters Uniion.
Apart from you two I have never come across any organisation focusing on the affects of bad housing on individual tenants.
I have had problems in my property ranging from damp, mold 8 years, no sound insulation for 13 years in the whole property – even though i have put down proofthing it makes no difference all conversations are over heard.
finally had a review 2018 in regards to my complaints, but nothing done just surveyors sent. However For 14 months the surveyors both said the property failed building regulations, also messy neighbours who continuously block shared meter room with daily junk and rubbish- 13 years has caused severed mental health issues.
Ongoing intrusion and ostricisation.
Hackney housing coop and coophomes have allowed these issues to continue and have never solved issues in 13 years
Tried advisors, mp, and solicitors. No one has taken on my case, even though it is inhabital
Help please