Non-profit housing organizations

[Michaelhe]

For one year now, I have basically lived like a gypsy without access to a proper health service or to a  permanent home. I live on a disability pension. Great was my relief therefore when I finally got an offer from what is supposed to be a non-profit housing organization offering affordable housing to people like myself.

Upon entering the apartment I did not notice much, but i did notice that man who helped me in kept looking at the floor. It was an old wooden floor, which creaked when you walked on it. I did not pay much attention this. The only thing I noticed was that the contract stipulated that you needed an insurance for water related issues when i moved in. After a few showers, however, i noticed that water sometimes collected in the bathroom door, from there it dripped down on to the doorstop, and out into the hallway outside, where there were wooden boards as flooring. The juncture between the door sill and the wooden boards was uncovered, due to missing list work. I then went to the  closest home improvement store, and the man there knew all about these types of problems. So, I bought a list, it was not cheap, and then covered the juncture. (see photo)

I also noticed that my contract included a very expensive TV subscription, which I tried to cancel the first month, I sent an email and called twice. It was still there on my next bill, and again tried to have it removed by calling twice and sending two emails. Nothing happened, so I went down to their office, and the person there said she couldn’t make the changes because some person had taken a holiday. I said: «Am I paying for a tv subscription because the case worker is on holiday?» She then laughed awkwardly, and told me to come back after the case worker's holiday.

In my contract, there were originally no specified points except for the rent and TV subscription. But in the one i received now, kitchen and bathroom renovation are mentioned. Well, clearly, they did not do a good job? When I examined the creaking floors, I discovered that it was due to the fact that the lists did not press down on the wooden boards. I thought they had removed something, an original carpet, because the nails on the lists have not been hammered into the board, but have been painted halfway out (see photo). Fortunately, that also makes it easy for me to adjust them.
I now suspect that reason for the specified renovation, is to list further renovations later on, when my Tv subscription is finally canceled.

My reason for writing this is that I just think that people who claim to run a non-profit organization, or who provide those in society with health care or other basic support, should follow the guidelines of their own profession. Of course, this is not nearly as bad doctors refusing to treat patients or lawyers breaching their codes of conduct, but they do get many perks from society because of what they claim to be doing?

I wish more people like this would go into politics, because then they would know that everything they do  will be scrutinized. I photographed this because many men are the home improvement types of people, and  these will probably nod and smile. (I just used the phone, I do not have professional camera or anything)

Edit: I removed one of the smaller lists, and noticed that it is attached both to the floor and the wall. So what I said earlier was not correct. This must have been done in order to make it easier to put on a new cover. Which means that this might be necessary or expected. However, I can lower the list myself leaving the nails halfway in. In fact, this is not bad at all, but the best way of doing this. The missing listwork to the bath, however, is an issue. But regarding the first point my assumption proved incorrect on closer inspection.

Endret 11. april 2023 av Michaelhe