Defend Council Housing

[_angel_]

Defend Council Housing????!!

Why, it's shit!

One of the things Thatcher was clever about with her right to buy scheme was that working class people don't aspire to council housing, to having the council lay down the law on what you can do or not do to your house, as such the right to buy was held out as a carrot to lead into the big stick of atomised mortgage discipline, and yet still most people desire to have their own house because the simple fact is council housing is shit. We should not defend council housing one bit, we should be demanding much better, whilst at the same time making clear we will resist any further attacks on working class living conditions, not on the basis of defending council housing but defending working class living conditions.

It's the (crumbling) roof over my head. How about defending council housing, done properly.

 

[revol68]

Not all of us can afford to buy our own homes nor do many of us want to. No one "aspires" to live in social housing but such housing should always be available.

Thatcher wasn't "clever", she helped to create the housing crisis that we have today. I never saw people sleeping on the street when I was a kid, when Thatch came to power, there were homeless people everywhere.

 

[Grandma Death]

Defend Council Housing????!!

Why, it's shit!

Oh please do fuck off.

 

[guinnessdrinker]

Defend Council Housing????!!

Why, it's shit!

One of the things Thatcher was clever about with her right to buy scheme was that working class people don't aspire to council housing, to having the council lay down the law on what you can do or not do to your house, as such the right to buy was held out as a carrot to lead into the big stick of atomised mortgage discipline, and yet still most people desire to have their own house because the simple fact is council housing is shit. We should not defend council housing one bit, we should be demanding much better, whilst at the same time making clear we will resist any further attacks on working class living conditions, not on the basis of defending council housing but defending working class living conditions.

what about improving it, then? not all working class workers aspire to a mortgage that they will have pay off over decades and under which they could lose their homes if they fail to pay off their mortgage. they won't actually own their homes, the banks will.

you did not get very far in the education system, I presume.

 

[nino_savatte]

A sure sign that you have had your arse kicked (discursively speaking) is to post up a crass image.

I think the most revealing thing is your avoidance of the point that I made about Thatcher and RTB.

 

[Geoff kerr-morg]

i read this letter in Socialist Worker and thought it would add to this discussion.
'We shall not be moved
While the government talk of creating more “social housing”, Hackney council in east London has unveiled plans to “decant” (evict) up to 160 families from the Gascoyne Estate.

Its plans may include demolishing up to four blocks of housing and selling the land to housing associations.

Tenants of the Points blocks, which are part of the estate, have been told that if they are able to return after rebuilding or potential refurbishment funded by private developers, they will no longer have council tenancies.

At a so-called “consultation” event on Wednesday of last week tenants were asked to give their feedback on options – none of which involved staying with the council – by simply ticking boxes on posters displayed on the wall.

Angry tenants protested outside the event and held an alternative consultation collecting 23 signed letters opposing the demolition and sell-off.

This represented a substantial number of the families who visited the consultation event. This is despite tenants being repeatedly told by representatives of the council and developers that there was no option but sell-off.

Many tenants feel that the estate has been systematically run down in the lead up to these proposals in order to persuade tenants they would be better off leaving.

Tenants have been told for 30 years that it has not been possible to install central heating in their homes as the Points are weak in structure. But a recent survey found this not to be case and other blocks of the same design have been brought up to decent homes standards.

Tenants are suspicious that the land’s proximity to the Olympic development area increases the prospective value of the land.

We fear that any new homes built on the land by housing associations will be beyond the means of current tenants’ income.

The council are due to make a final decision on the estate’s future this September.'

Angela Stapleford, East London

 

[Geoff kerr-morg]

If anyone thinks that housing should be left in the hands of market forces and speculation I suggest you read this article about the collapse of the Sub Prime Mortgage market in the USA.
http://www.isreview.org/issues/53/housing.shtml

The stock markets are very worried and wobbling with the USA Federal reserve now having to intervene.

 

[ViolentPanda]

I'm guessing your local council didn't spend alot on education.

That, you poor wee mite, is because education is administered by local education authorities, not by councils.

 

[ViolentPanda]

If anyone thinks that housing should be left in the hands of market forces and speculation I suggest you read this article about the collapse of the Sub Prime Mortgage market in the USA.
http://www.isreview.org/issues/53/housing.shtml

The stock markets are very worried and wobbling with the USA Federal reserve now having to intervene.

It's not just in the states that the sub-prime sector is looking unsound, either.

 

[Geoff kerr-morg]

Follow this link to the Dispatches programme shown on Monday about housing in Britain
http://www.onthebox.com/program-details.aspx?program=84093

 

[winterinmoscow]

I've signed it and feel really strongly about this issue as I used to work in housing. Is there anything else I can do to help?

 

[lewislewis]

This is a huge problem in parts of Wales. With the new coalition government we have there will be the construction of more social housing (and digging deeper it seems all of these new builds will have to meet advanced environmental criteria), but more importantly in areas of housing shortage the right to buy will be suspended.

 

[Geoff kerr-morg]

Winterinmoscow asked what help could she/he do? I'm sure your experience of working in housing would be helpful to any campaign. Check out the Defend Council Housing website they produce brilliant broadsheets pamphlets and leaflets for distribution, some you can download. They organise tenants groups and work with other organisations and trade unions. It is a non party political campaign and works closely with the council housing group of MP's. It organises conferences. All of it's campaigning work is aimed outover to involve as many grass roots people as possible in activity.
http://www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk

 

[Geoff kerr-morg]

I have been trying to post some direct audio links on here to a meeting held in 2005 on How to solve the housing crisis in Britain. I am not having any luck I was able to post it on the Redcar.net website . If you are interested in housing issues I would strongly urge you to follow this link. The two speakers can be heard seperately Eileen Short from Defend Council Housing Group and Austen Mitchell Labour MP.

http://www.redcar.net/xmb/vt.php?tid=1620

 

[Geoff kerr-morg]

This is from tonights Evening Gazette [ Middlesbrough ]
Housing groups join to help residents
Aug 22 2007 by Sandy McKenzie, Evening Gazette

BETTER services for residents and expansion of their businesses are among the aims of joint plans by two Teesside housing associations.

Erimus Housing and Tees Valley Housing Group, both based in Middlesbrough, have put forward plans to form a group structure.

Under the proposals, Erimus Housing and Tees Valley Housing Group would remain separate organisations with their own housing stock but would be overseen by a new parent company.

A group structure would mean the two organisations could bring together their expertise and share resources and costs, leading to improved services for their tenants.

The move would not affect Erimus Housing’s current £105m improvement programme to bring all its homes up to modern day living standards by 2010.

The boards of both organisations have already agreed to enter into further detailed discussions about forming the structure, along with its parent company.

Bernard Williams, chief executive of Erimus Housing, said: “Erimus Housing is now in its third year and we have fulfilled the majority of our promises to tenants.

“We are now looking at growth and diversification and the board agrees that the formation of a group structure is the best platform for growth.”

Mr Williams said services to residents were Erimus’s priority.

Erimus Housing owns around 11,000 homes and Tees Valley Housing Group owns approximately 4,000 properties.

Detailed discussions are now taking place and a joint board steering group has been set up to look into the proposals.

Alison Thain, chief executive of Tees Valley Housing Group, said: “Both Tees Valley Housing Group and Erimus Housing are committed to ensuring there will be no compulsory redundancies coming out of this partnership. This is a win-win partnership for both organisations, as well as our residents.”

Geoffs Comments

I understand that the infamous Sunderland Housing Group are already undertaking contracts with Erimus and HBS formerly Hyder Business services who are doing loads of frontline work with Erimus have been taken over in the last two weeks. HBS are no more so much for contracts. O what a tangled web we weave .

I invite readers comments
_________________

 

[guinnessdrinker]

This is a huge problem in parts of Wales. With the new coalition government we have there will be the construction of more social housing (and digging deeper it seems all of these new builds will have to meet advanced environmental criteria), but more importantly in areas of housing shortage the right to buy will be suspended.

that's absolutely brilliant news!

 

[marty21]

looks like it's part of a general trend to create larger and larger housing associations as an alternative to local authority housing management. I used to work for a housing association with local authority management contracts 9they now manage housing for an almo) they have grown in size, merged, taken over smaller associations, and now have more than 20,000 homes under management

the one i work for at the moment merged with a larger association - they probably have plans now to bid for management contracts

and ultimately the larger associations want stock transfers of council owned housing (imo of course)

 

[Geoff kerr-morg]

Read the DCH briefing on the latest government proposals for housing

http://www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk/dch/resources/DCHBriefing2ndReadingHousingBill.pdf

 

[Tacita]

Oldham Council have just begun their initial consultation process, looking at stock transfer options (currently an ALMO). Predictably dismissive when asked about DCH issues. Questioner was told that they would not be looking into idealistic and ill-considered wishful thinking.
Any DCH action in the area?