Homeless families in London temporary housing told not to use air conditioning

Some residents at Britannia Point in Colliers Wood, London, experienced such stifling conditions young children became ill. Photograph: Paul Gapper/Alamy View image in fullscreen Some residents at Britannia Point in Colliers Wood, London, experienced such stifling conditions young children became ill. Photograph: Paul Gapper/Alamy Homeless families in London temporary housing told not to use air conditioning Exclusive: Two children reportedly taken to hospital after residents told in-built units ‘not offered as amenity’ Homeless families placed in temporary accommodation in London were told they could not use the in-built air conditioning as it had “not been offered as an amenity” for them, leading to two children being hospitalised during recent heatwaves. Some residents at Britannia Point in Colliers Wood, south-west London, experienced such stifling conditions that young children became ill. The company managing some of the tenancies involved told the Guardian households in temporary accommodation had now been told they could use the air conditioning. However, some residents said they were informed that if they use the system they will be billed via a standing charge rather than for how long the air conditioning runs, which could result in bills of up to £500 for the entire summer. The 19-storey glass-fronted block is owned by Criterion Capital, set up by the billionaire property magnate Asif Aziz. The company was accused earlier this year of trying to mass-evict tenants shortly before no-fault evictions were banned, something the company has denied. The temporary accommodation tenancies, which see councils place otherwise homeless households in properties for periods that can last from weeks to years, are managed separately by lettings agencies, one of them London-based Aura Assets Management. After a tenant complained to the building management about their air conditioning not working, they were sent an email, seen by the Guardian, which said that under the tenancy as managed by Aura, air conditioning “has been switched off” for households in emergency accommodation. It went on: “Air conditioning has not been offered as an amenity under these arrangements, and the units cannot be switched back on as a result. You are welcome to use a portable fan or portable air conditioning unit at your own arrangement in the meantime.” Residents say the all-glass construction of the block and the fact that windows open only slightly mean that, without air conditioning, their flats have become unbearably hot. “It is very difficult to cool the flats down,” one resident said. “I find that as soon as I enter the building, I become much hotter, start feeling sick and sweat profusely.” Alice Rogers, who lives in Britannia Point with her four-year-old son Hassan, said they regularly had to leave the block due to the heat. “There is a window that you can open, but there’s not much of a difference that makes,” she said. “Whether you open it or close it, it’s just l