Letter to Homeowners 21st September 2021
Dear Homeowner
I am writing to you on behalf of the resident managed organisation, Leathermarket JMB, that you and your neighbours have chosen to provide your housing service. Resident managed means that we have a board of residents, elected by fellow residents, who make the big decisions about how we operate. They are supported by officers, managers, JMB subcommittees, co-opted directors, consultants and Southwark Council to ensure they have the skills, information and knowledge to make these decisions. It also means that we provide many opportunities for residents to make a contribution and have their say.
Thank you for buying a home in our area and contributing to our collective endeavour to have a strong community in one of the best neighbourhoods in the country. We are very proud of the diversity of our residents and believe that everyone has a contribution to make and insight to bring. There are collective decisions to be made, such as how we prioritise major works and how we continuously improve the services we provide. As a democratic organisation we cannot promise that every resident will like every decision that is made, but we can guarantee that you will have a chance to have your say.
Our services and major works are 99% funded by rents or service charges that our secure tenants and homeowners pay. We take our custodianship of your money very seriously and we offer transparency about our spending decisions. The JMB uses the calculation and apportionment methodologies appropriate to the Southwark lease, which have met the reasonabIeness critera in the Upper tribunal. The JMB does not make any element of profit from homeowners and have to properly separate the cost of the services we provide to home owners and secure tenants.
Everybody has a contribution to make, which is to tell us what you think and to help us to continue to improve. If you have time to contribute to your community we would love to hear from you. Within the JMB we have five tenant and resident associations which cover all of the homes we manage. We have sub-committees that scrutinise the main areas of our service such as communication & participation, finance, performance, major works and homeownership services. We have also stepped up during the pandemic to support those residents who most need our help and we now be continuing this support.
We provide a personal and local service. Your principal point of contact is through your named Resident Services Officer. If you want to get involved or just find out more about how we are organised please email residentservices@leathermarketjmb.org.uk
As a resident-led organisation we subject ourselves to a continuation ballot every five-years to find out whether you want to stay resident managed, or you would prefer Southwark Council to take on the running of your estates. You will get a ballot paper at the beginning of October, which you will have a month to return. We are asking you to vote Yes to stay resident managed.
Finally, we would welcome the input of resident homeowners on the quality of our services, such as cleaning, gardening and management of anti-social behaviour at our forthcoming Annual General Meeting. To be able to vote at the AGM you need to become a member of the JMB and you can join on the night or via our website. Please put 6.30pm on Monday 18th October in your diary and look out for your official invite.
Warmest regards
Andy Bates
JMB Manager