...........or most satisfied with?
Firstly, don't get me wrong with this, I'm all for supporting the disadvantaged, homelessness etc - part of my work, but this was all wrong ie too high profile in it's location in a quiet village with no proper back-up or resources (or experience) to handle it.
In my last house, I lived near a Housing Assoc who have flats for the elderly.
One of their block of flats situated on the main road, (two storey, garden frontage, four flats ) they decided to change the use from the elderly to young single parents or young single pregnant mums.
Gawd, it was awful. They weren't supposed to have males in the building but they stood naked at the windows, curtains always open while fornicating with the boyfriends, drinking, smoking and chucking lit cigarette ends onto lines of washing hanging out in neighbours gardens either side of their building, effing and jeffing at passer-by's, loud music, late night rows on the road. Local paper had a ball reporting on it, motorists slowed down passing it, ogling and whistling. The police used their powers under anti-social behaviour but it just carried on.
They were supposed to be visited by Social Workers, but nothing changed.
There's the local primary school a few doors away, families with kids, businesses complained, estate agent lost sales. So many complaints but nobody seemed to be doing anything constructive.
I was so rattled, I took the bull by the horns, decided to form an action group to reverse the H.A's decision and get it back for the elderly, which is what the H.A. was initially founded for.
Printed out leaflets saying I was forming an action group asking if anyone wanted to join me in getting the H.A. to reverse. Went door-knocking, shoved leaflets in letterboxes, contacted the police who'd been called many times after complaints, spoke with local MP - so many joined me, we had to hire the church hall for our meetings weekly then monthly .... cutting it short after nearly 2yrs we won - which was duly reported in the local media. Proper chuffed, job done. Peace.
If anyone's wondering if the lassies ended up on the street - no they didn't. They were transferred to a different H.A. nearer the city centre, different council who had more funding and resources for both social support and housing more suited to their needs. So perhaps a win all round I guess.