Sign the open letter: Stop the Imperial Apartments scandal.

Sign the open letter to stand with the people placed by the council in the harmful Imperial Apartments accommodation.

We wrote this open letter, signed by other local organisations, on behalf of a group of parents that we have been supporting and who live at Imperial Apartments. To read the full open letter which will be sent to Bristol City Council, click on the box below. 

Imperial Apartments in South Bristol, managed by Caridon, is a converted office block. Bristol City Council has been placing people who have approached them for housing support here. Caridon describe their developments as: ‘Modern all-inclusive living’. Sadly, it is far from this, with residents describing it as being like a prison and that they feel unsafe there.   

The accommodation has been poorly managed, and residents continue to report very poor conditions. People report facing terrible issues on a daily basis and are having to put up with:  

  • damp and mould 
  • disrepair and overcrowding 
  • rat infestations 
  • drug equipment and alcohol bottles in communal areas
  • frequent anti-social behaviour 
  • the accommodation being inaccessible for families with young children and people with mobility issues 

These issues are negatively affecting the health and wellbeing of the people living there, including children. Some flats are even so small that local midwives say they could harm a child’s physical development.  

Most residents whom we have spoken to said that when they were placed at Imperial Apartments by the council, they were explicitly told it was temporary accommodation.   

This was seriously misleading. Once people were moved there, they were then told by the council that they were now adequately housed. This means they lost their place on the social housing waiting list and, because they can’t afford private rents elsewhere, they are now trapped.  

Sign the open letter now to tell Bristol City Council that they must stop this scandal. 

Our open letter is also signed by other local organisations including:

  • Caring in Bristol
  • Bristol Fair Renting Campaign
  • ACORN The Union 
  • Housing Matters 
  • Knowle West Health Park Company 
  • Hartwood Healthcare
  • Community Midwifery Team for Whitchurch and Stockwood
  • Hillview Medical Practice 
  • Swift Primary Care Network
  • Read the full open letter here

    Dear Bristol City Council,

    This letter is written by Shelter, supported by the undersigned and other local organisations, on behalf of a group of parents we have been supporting who live at Imperial Apartments.

    Shelter has spoken to residents who have shared that when they were placed at Imperial Apartments, they were explicitly told it was temporary accommodation. This was seriously misleading and has led to residents being placed into HomeChoice Band 4, with no hope of moving to suitable permanent social homes.

    Unless their circumstances change and they can make a homeless application or move up a priority banding on HomeChoice Bristol, households are now trapped in what has been described by residents as ‘a prison’.

    They also cannot afford to move to alternative private rental accommodation, as Bristol has some of the most expensive rents outside London.

    The building is a converted office block, and concerns continue to be raised about its poor physical condition.

    The restrictive physical characteristics of the accommodation, although designed under permitted development rights, mean that a lot of flats are not actually suitable for people to live in.

    High numbers of heavy internal security doors make flats inaccessible to people with mobility issues, those with limiting health conditions, as well as families with young children, shopping and prams. According to local midwives, the small size of the flats also severely limits the space that children have to develop and grow in, especially babies who are crawling and learning to walk. This means that residents are currently trapped in highly unsuitable conditions.

    There are constant reports from residents of communal areas being littered with drug and alcohol paraphernalia, as well as vermin infestations, flats with damp and mould, and other disrepair issues. None of these are being addressed in a timely manner. Bristol City Council themselves describe having ongoing issues with Caridon, who are failing to address these problems.

    Families we have worked with have frequently reported incidents of anti-social behaviour in and around the Imperial Apartments complex. They are afraid to leave their flats after witnessing incidents of violence, harassment, racism, or other anti-social behaviour on the site. These concerns extend to crucial health services. And some have stopped responding to calls to go to Imperial Apartments as they are worried about the safety of their staff.

    These combined issues are of grave concern to the families currently living there and would undoubtedly have negative effects on any new family that was placed there. These factors are damaging lives. Nobody should be living in such conditions, let alone families with children.

    Together with the families, Shelter is calling on Bristol City Council to amend their referral agreement with Caridon to:

    1. stop placing families at Imperial Apartments
    2. place families currently living at Imperial Apartments on band 2 on HomeChoice Bristol
    3. provide clear routes for anyone housed in Imperial Apartments to move out by:
      1. maintaining their position on HomeChoice Bristol
      2. giving them a meaningful package of support to help them move into alternative suitable private rented accommodation

     

    Regards,

    Shelter
    Imperial Apartments families
    Caring in Bristol
    Bristol Fair Renting Campaign
    ACORN The Union
    Housing Matters
    Knowle West Health Park Company
    Hartwood Healthcare
    Community Midwifery Team for Whitchurch and Stockwood
    Hillview Medical Practice
    Swift Primary Care Network
    The undersigned