The Salvation Army is known worldwide for its charitable work: its annual Christmas fundraiser, charity shops and temples where Salvationists aim to provide a different kind of church community. And the organization is perhaps best known for its work with the most disadvantaged in society, particularly the homeless.
But as a Guardian investigative reporter Simon Goodley recount Nosheen Iqbal, The Salvation Army also has another, lesser-known role: it is a commercial landlord who rents houses to people who pay market rents and who expect houses to be suitable for their needs. For some residents of the town of Hadleigh in Essex, however, their homes are in very poor condition. Despite years of complaints, their owner has failed to act.
In a joint investigation with ITV News, Simon describes the living conditions of Rita, an elderly woman living with damp running down her walls as she tries to keep warm. And there’s Peggy, whose tiny house has been deemed by experts to be a fire trap.
The Salvation Army apologized for the conditions and promised to correct what it had long postponed. But after years of broken promises, residents are still waiting to see real improvements to their properties from their landlord.
Photography: Joel Carrett/AAP
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