Midweek

While 6 flats now have front doors and the top floor flat and the four on the 1st floor have their windows in, for some things it feels that progress is slow. As anyone who has attempted to get their gas or electricity reconnected will know deregulation has made doing this an absolute nightmare of competing agencies, companies and established contracts. Steve has spent a lot of time with a mobile phone clamped on one ear. 'How's it going?' I mouth to him (silently). He responds with the international gesture for 'Shoot me now'.

The gas meters on the four ground floor flats are external - contained in those ugly white plastic boxes - except these have been smashed and the meters are gone. All are gone but one has to be reported to the police as stolen before the flat can be reconnected (go figure!). Steve has bought four replacements - those for the the front 2 flats have now been replaced, those for the back 2 flats on the ground floor we will do when we've got the windows in and have access to the back gardens.

By the end of the week we hope to have front doors on all the flats. A steady stream of plumbers is coming round to bid for putting in the boilers and putting in the heating, but our budget for doing this is very tight.

Phoenix’s Summer General Meeting

Just in case you missed it elsewhere. Phoenix’s Summer General Meeting is being held on Tuesday 26th July -7-9pm at 1-17 William Guy Gardens. The meeting will not have an agenda and will instead be an open forum for the discussion of all things relating to the Co-op and its future. There will then be a summer garden party for all members to enjoy. Please RVP your attendance by emailing mail@phoenixhousing.co.uk.

Week One Done

'That's good progress for a week.' says Steve as he closes the front door he's just put back with a satisfying thud. So where are we with Phoenix's plan to refurb 9 flats in a block in Poplar?

Flat 101 - top floor, the site office to be. Front door on, windows unboarded to let daylight in for the first time in seven years, the glass put back in, wallpaper stripped, floor tiles stripped, lino stripped out of the kitchen. Once this flat is done up - to provide a toilet and washing facilities for volunteers - the volunteering can begin in earnest - probably from Monday August 15th.





Flat 99 - these next four flats are on the first floor. New front door on, unboarded.
Flat 97 - front door on, unboarded, swept out, floor tiles stripped, lino stripped out of the kitchen, windows unboarded and glass put back in.
Flat 95 - New front door put on, otherwise ditto.
Flat 93 - ditto but the front door still needs doing.

The four flats on the ground floor we are leaving boarded up until we are ready to start work on them - though one is being used as a waste store for the rubble as it is generated.

In rendering the flats squat proof (and to prevent scavengers from stripping out the electrical wiring etc.) Poplar Harca rendered the flats exceptionally difficult to get into - everything has been glued and screwed (and the screwheads covered over). The power's not on yet, the water's not on yet, the toilets, baths, sinks and kitchens aren't in yet and Steve is busy gettting quotes to get the work not suitable for volunteers done.

Next week - more of the same - if you are interested in helping out email Maihan.

(Day 1) Lease signed and Steve is onsite.

So Monday morning and the lease is signed and Steve (the site manager)is getting a look at the flats in the light of day. But before the project can 'go live' with volunteers, he needs to convert the top floor flat into the site office - this means getting a kitchen and a toilet put in (they were removed to deter squatting) and getting all the services hooked up. And before that even, there's a lot of stripping 70ies wallpaper to be done - thankfully it seems to be coming off fairly quickly and completely.

Inside the top floor flat is in surprisingly good condition. Most of the tiling in the kitchen and bathroom can be saved. Steve has already got the lino/ floor tiles up.

We are planning on the site going live to external trainees and volunteers on Monday 15th August. But before the 15th Steve will need some member help and so we will be contacting the Co-op members who have already expressed an interest in getting involved.

The site will be open Monday – Friday 9.30- 4.30pm and every other Saturday (beginning 20th August) for Co-op members who work full time. If you are interested in volunteering and supporting Housing Plus and the development of the Co-op, please contact Maihan Hamed, Phoenix’s Employment, training and education (ETE) Co-ordinator on mhamed@phoenixhousing.co.uk.

Volunteer Meeting Wednesday 13th July 7pm-9pm Oxford House

Dear Phoenix members,
Just a quick reminder that there will be a meeting for all Co-op members who are interested in finding out more about volunteering on the Housing Plus renovation of Spey Street. The volunteer meeting will be held on Wednesday 13th July from 7pm-9pm at Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, Bethnal Green E3 3LE.






If you are interested in volunteering on the renovation project, then please come along to meet Steve and Maihan and find out more about the project. Steve Hopson is the full time Spey Street Site Manager and Maihan Hamed is the part time Employment, training and education (ETE) Co-ordinator who will be working on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Please RSVP your attendance. Best wishes Carlita

next devcom

Thanks to all who attended the development committee meeting thursday 17th february, the next one is tuesday march 8th - by then we should have heard back from the management committee regarding the proposal for the next refurb project.

More news (as well as a list of scheduled management committee meetings) can also be found at http://www.phoenixhousingcoop.org/news.html

communications update

Dear Phoenix members,



We are in the process of improving the design and layout of the Phoenix Co-op website and we’d really value your feedback. Click on the link to our website and please let us know what you think of the ‘new look’ design and layout and also let us know about any further improvements that you would like to see added to the website. Please let me have your comments and suggestions by Tuesday 30th November. http://www.phoenixhousingcoop.org/



Secondly, we are trying to develop and improve our use of Facebook in order to keep you up to date with everything that is happening in the Co-op. If you are on Facebook and have not yet found us or become our friend, then please do! We can be found by searching for ‘Phoenix HousingCoop’. See you there…



Finally, the Department of Communities and Local Government has just published a consultation on the New Homes bonus. The full document can be viewed here http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/newhomesbonusconsult This consultation is aimed at local authorities and how to provide the right incentives around the building of new homes. There are 13 consultation questions in total, including question 4 which asks ‘do you agree with the proposal to reward local authorities for bringing empty properties back into use through the New Homes Bonus? Are there any practical constraints?’ The deadline for the submission of consultation responses is 24th December so please can all members send comments over to me by Friday 10th December for inclusion in Phoenix’s response.



Thanks very much!



carlita