|
|
 |
| |
Straight talk on Trust’s sexuality question
• YOUR article ‘Housing trust’s sexuality quiz’ (June 15) raises serious issues, and shows that lessons are not learned.
Paddington Churches Housing Association/ Genesis did this exercise a year ago, and asked tenants for their religion.
Again, this ended up on Liberty’s desk and they expressed grave reservations. They suggested that it was likely that the survey breached the regulations of the professional body, the Market Research Association.
Since both PCHA and Peabody are members of the G15 group of housing associations, there is not the slightest likelihood that they do not share issues of mutual importance.
Over a year ago, the important industry magazine, Inside Housing, reported that housing associations were being called upon to co-operate with the terrorist branches of the security services, and this probably lies at the base of the whole business.
Do any of these allegedly professional bodies honestly imagine that an actual terrorist, if he were to be a Muslim, when asked for his religion, would actually speak the truth?
Peabody and PCHA should stick to their core business. They should have an annual tenants satisfaction survey which is both universal and independently run, and use the results to improve their deplorable service.
PETER RUTHERFORD
Pandora Road, NW6
• THANK you for the story about Peabody’s sexuality quiz. I am glad it has been given publicity.
I wrote on the questionnaire about sexuality that this is a very impertinent and unnecessary question.
I do resent it, even though I am a straight person. But that is no business of the Peabody Trust.
When we ask for help, they say “call the police”. But with something like this they don’t hesitate to waste money on it.
Thank you for putting it on the front page.
NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
• I AM in strong agreement with I Walker, who expressed his outrage at receiving a questionnaire the contents of which required him to reveal personal aspects of his private life (Peabody gets personal, June 15).
One year ago I received a similar questionnaire from the then Threshold housing requesting not only my ethnic origin and disabilities but also my religion and sexual orientation.
I was so distressed, as a married woman, at being asked my sexual orientation that I confronted the housing office staff. When asking them if they minded being asked the questions they replied yes they did however there was nothing that could be done about it.
Having not completed the questionnaire I was further outraged to receive a phone call six months later requesting the same information.
What will the next set of questions be? Do you make love and how often do you do so?
MAUREEN SEXTON
Sutherland Street, SW1
• THE Peabody Trust has sent this clarification:
As a housing association, Peabody is regulated and inspected by the Housing Corporation and Audit Commission respectively. We are therefore expected to record information about our residents in order to provide services that are tailored to their needs.
|
 |
|
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
