Labours devious housing plans unfold

Some of us as tenant activists here in Liverpool have been fighting housing privatisation since 1992, it didn't take great deal of intelligence or inside information to get an understanding of where council housing was being driven since the 1980's. Right to Buy, designed to break up equality on housing estates, also the best housing was then taken out of the public rented sector. Housing management options were offered to tenants association (and residents associations) EMBs (Estate Management Boards) TMOs (Tenant Management Organisations), HATs (Housing Action Trusts) ie you can manage your own and your neighbours homes cut out the local housing office, some liked the power but they definitely didn't like being held accountable when things didn't work out as they naively promised their neighbours.

Many council tenants here in Liverpool are not aware that CCT of housing management happened circa 1994/95, ie all housing offices in Liverpool were forced to tender for the management contracts, they also then had to make a 5% (minimum) annual profit from the same management fees from the council, basically an annual budget cut. So talk of Arms Length Manage Organisation (ALMO) sounds strange to me, when council housing is already managed at 'ARMS LENGTH' through CCT of housing management.

Council housing here in Liverpool (municipal housing) has a history of over 100 years, there was a plague celebrating this historical fact until just a few months ago, it's
been dug up from what is yet another building site near London Road/Moss Street in the town centre, I wasn't able to get my camera down to take a shot of it before it was dug up.

As regards housing associations, they are indeed big businesses, many are covert PLCs, many are engaged in takeovers and mergers with other housing associations as is the game of free-market capitalism.

Throughout the 1980's the Thatcher government was attempting to create a private market for the rented sector, but it wasn't profitable enough especially while affordable and good quality council housing was about. Since council housing has been purposely allowed to decline through lack of repairs and no new council housing building programmes and massive Stock Transfer now the private rented sector is increasingly profitable, rents of over £100 a week are not unusual here in Liverpool, that even includes former tenants who've bought former council housing and are renting it back at extortionate prices to desparate tenants who've spent years on council waiting lists. Richard Kemp Liberal-Democrats housing chairman from 1998 to 2003 claimed there was an over supply of council housing in Liverpool, if that is the case why is there a huge waiting list? Fact is while that housing list has grown, the council has colluded to demolish empty council and former council properties right across Liverpool, thus making affordable housing evermore scarce, meaning for young first timers you're forced to remain in overcrowded conditions with parents or jump head first into the private sector.

Council tenants are on the back heel, particularly in a repressive city (for working class people) such as Liverpool, recently the EGA partnership which used to install central heating for elderly and people on benefits have changed policy, council tenants are simply no longer elligible, council tenants tend to the amongst the poorest and most vulnerable in the rented housing sector. Council tenants who refuse to vote for PFI (Private Finance Initiative), ALMO or Stock Transfer are going to be excluded from the government's 2010 housing quality standards. Thus it's a case of surrending real and legal housing rights for new front doors and PVC double glazing.

Liverpool has a massive housing crisis effecting both the homeless and also those claiming housing benefit, with delays in payment leading to tenants being evicted from private sector landlords. Local council have a legal duty to house the homeless, they now use the private sector in preference to housing them in their often empty properties. Housing associations (RSLs) state they don't have a duty to house the homeless, despite the fact they're being given council housing.

To create a market first you have to create inequality (some would call that choice) so as to exploit the vulnerable, to increase profitablity you have to reduce supply so as to artificially increase demand and that's what Liverpool City Council have been doing as policy throughout the 1990's. Liverpool is closet to totality of the private sector housing market when Liverpool City Council con the final 21,500 council tenants over to housing associations, housing trusts, RSLs and housing companies there simply will not be a safety net and the bottom line in affordability will have gone pressures will be put upon RSLs by their lenders, the banks and building societies to force up rents as it's the only way of increasing profit. I've spoken to too many people who are falling victim to this free-market philosophy and they feel totally isolated, local councillors appear unable or unwilling to aid many, there is increasingly nowhere to turn for help.

Defend Council Housing:
 http://www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk

link for support + resources
20.08.2004 09:43

Defend Council Housing:
 http://www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk

trade unionist

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I AWAITED THEIR SUPPORT... I AWAITED THEIR REPLY TO MY RECENT EMAIL... I AWAITED THEIR NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION/PROTEST... I N O L O N G E R A W A I T ! ! !

I've been waiting since end of 1998, that's six years since they were set up, fortunately I haven't just waited and done nothing... We had three huge Stock Transfer ballots here in Liverpool during 2002 and one in Knowsley and DCH didn't do anything, 1) Lee Park and Netherly no opposition 'VOTE NO' TU or DCH campaign organised, 2) BERRYBRIDGE no opposition 'VOTE NO' TU or DCH campaign organised, 3) Knowsley no opposition 'VOTE NO' TU or DCH campaign organised 4) COBALT a VOTE NO CAMPAIGN ORGANISED the only one in 2002 in Liverpool and was not organised, resourced or led by TU or DCH, it was in fact primarily tenant activist led, organised and resourced with 34% of tenants voting no, with the true majority of tenants not voting for transfer, if including the non-voters.

DCH had a huge cross-section of tenant activists -truly outspoken working class housing campaigners- from across Britain meet here in Liverpool Spring 2003 only to be lectured to by Labour MPs, Labour Councillors and TUs the very people with the power and position to impact on things. They've not impacted on anything since 1998 ie no change of government policy instead a hardening of government stance. The real experts were sitting in the audience being talked at by Labour MPs.

Despite the audience being tenant activists it may well have been *the* historic last chance for an organised national protest or demonstration to show anger of tenants across Britain against privatisation of council housing before the 2005 general election. Lobbying of parliament is an empty and pointless exercise, we tenant activists tried lobbying in 1994 against CCT of housing management it changed nothing then either it just demoralised us.

Hoping that the Labour government will allow a fourth option to remain with the council, DCH's entire political direction, isn't just naive it's politically dangerous in the extreme. After seven years and two Labour parliaments, who thinks that the Free-Market Labour government are going to go for that, there's dwindling opposition and ever fewer tenants and committed tenant activists (as has happened here in Liverpool since 1992) with which to organise any kind of national protest or demonstration with, we're being ground down, demoralised, we're also being transferred en-masse and there's lack of national leadership, a Labour Government has almost entirely abolished council housing within just two parliaments. Make up your own minds about what Defend Council Housing are really leading tenants and tenant activists towards. I've already sussed them out as a tenant activist.

When VOTE NO campaigns are led by principled and politically aware tenant activists who are directly effected by the outcomes we can win and we do win!

Erm, no offence, but I think the idea with DCH (like most national coalitions) is that they provide resources and support which folk can use to set up local campaigns. So, no, just waiting for them to swoop in won't have worked, how would they even know what was happening without local contacts?

Not meaning to be rude but I don't think you're being very fair to DCH who are volunteers and have been really helpful and supportive for recent campaigns in Camden and elsewhere.


Defend Council Housing:
 http://www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk

All respect to DCH for pumping the resources where they can but the full reality of housing Privatisation is that it will not be stopped through the small battles. This is a national outrage as in previous postings I have equated the behaviour of the government with the use of social apartheid. We need a robust national responce i.e. with rent strikes etc and protest as the message is not being told in the press or listened to.

RE:

You said: Erm, no offence, but I think the idea with DCH (like most national coalitions) is that they provide resources and support which folk can use to set up local campaigns.

Yeah and I've emailed them and asked if they'll help us fight the forthcoming 21,500 Stock Transfers up here in Liverpool, I'm as I said 'Still waiting' for a reply...
The Stop the War Coalition (STWC) organised numerous protests and demonstrations, is this simply a case that those who control and run DCH don't want the streets of London filled up by a march that would be composed of hundreds of thousands of 'WORKING CLASS' people who are the overwhelming majority of council tenants? Now that would be something akin to the national Poll Tax protest on April 1st 1990 which changed government policy, helped get rid of Thatcher - direct working class action, ooh that would be too scarey for the middle class leftwing and they probably wouldn't be able to guarantee they could control or derail it. There again DCH would probably do what STWC did anyway march us rapidly across central London to hear yet another bunch of middle class people give well rehearsed speeches, including Labour MPs and trade unionists trying to retain some fake 'lefty' creditibility probably tell us how we should lobby our MPs for mercy and please 'Sir/Madam' begging your pardon an' all - but can we have our homes repaired, maintained and improved.

You said: So, no, just waiting for them to swoop in won't have worked, how would they even know what was happening without local contacts?

They've got a list of local contacts, it's their list of people who've agreed to support their campaign for a fouth option, I even put my name to it - it's still probably on the list on their website, along with hundreds of other tenant activists including one who's just been elected as a Labour councillor covering the Norris Green area. They've got trade union backing, funding and support, Unison Liverpool have connections with DCH, Liverpool Tenants Federation (which I'm extremely critical of) have major connections with DCH they jointly organised the Spring 2003 conference in Liverpool, the one city ironically where no Stock Transfers have yet been beaten by a VOTE NO campaign. Also all tenants associations in Liverpool claiming 'TENANTS LEVY' funding via the Tenants Federation will be informed of DCH. Amusingly when I requested attendence at the DCH conference someone from DCH later rang me up and effectively demanded I make a bed available for a couple travelling down from Scotland, I simply didn't have a double bed full stop to offer them.

The time for excuses if past, I'm sick of hearing excuses for why we don't take action and why we tolerate injustice I hear it day-in-day-out in Liverpool.

You said: Not meaning to be rude but I don't think you're being very fair to DCH who are volunteers...

Hey I'm a volunteer and also a family carer too, I've been a volunteer housing activist since circa 1991, I've attended two DCH national conferences one in 1999 and the other in 2003, I've been fair to them all along even supporting a pro-DCH motion at a conference end of 2002. I think I know well the score.

You said: and have been really helpful and supportive for recent campaigns in Camden and elsewhere.

Yes and I know people -socialists- personally who weren't in DCH who were out and about gathering hundreds of 'NO VOTE' commitments from tenants in the Camden community, DCH are also based in London where a lot of Stock Transfer 'VOTE NO' campaigns have been won. As I was critically saying they've avoided organising/leading a national protest or demonstration since they were set up, I know because I raised it vocally at their conference in 1999 at Manchester and DCH will recall me raising it. I raised it again loudly at the Liverpool conference in 2003 both times from the floor.

Work this out for yourselves - surely if the tenants in London had been organised better (if the FACTS campaign in Islington which pre-dated DCH still existed for example) they would have had big numbers of tenants on any national demonstration/protest marching through central London with the rest of us coming down from right across Britain to support, however because DCH based in London have actually campaigned against Stock Transfers very effectively in London because it directly effects (allegedly) its leaders like Alan Waters in Camden, therefore DCH have helped to head off an organised direct action campaign of tenants in London. The working class of London have suffered extreme social engineering since the 1980's, including massive demolition programmes and gentrification of traditional working class neighbourhoods. I'm quite certain hundreds of thousands of them alone would have marched through the streets of London demanding massive government programme of repair and improvement to council housing without withdrawal of 'SECURE' tenancies or transfers to the private sector.

By the way tenants and tenant activists were well up for a nationally organised demo' and/or protest, many agreed with my suggestion in Liverpool, basically they are in the mood for *COLLECTIVE ACTION* as I said let's start using our *COLLECTIVE POWER* to take direct action to put pressure on the government, the time for nicey-nicey debate and lobbying has long since passed probably before DCH were even set up in 1998.

I recall a couple of DCH people on a stand in Speke during the 1998 Stock Transfer campaign, Mike Lane will recall, a couple of very young guys who wouldn't say boo to a goose they wouldn't even chat to us in fact, looked like a couple of local Uni' students roped in by the SWP, I saw 'VOTE YES TO SLH' placards all around and I took action and tore them down off the lamposts in Speke strand shopping centre and got some positive support from local people passing by. The DCH people on their stand were horrified at my action and didn't want to be associated with it, it made me feel better I know that.

It happens to be a case that too many -of us- tenant activists spent much of the 1990's sitting around talking, talking and more talking while our houses have laid unrepaired, tenants associations have become totally ineffective talk shops and the vast majority haven't organised a direct or even political action to force repairs or improvements most have been led by the nose by council officers, community development workers, tenant participation officers, regeneration agency staff, housing association staff promoting fake tenant empowerment (paid for via funds taken from council housing budgets) many tenants associations have been led over the cliff's edge to housing privatisation by house owners claiming to (patronisingly) be concerned about their neighbours while in reality many have been plotting with private sector interests to aid Stock Transfers particularly here in Liverpool.

The call for a nationally organised demonstration and/or protest was just over-ruled by the self-elected leaders of DCH, who said they're organising a protest it was a 'LOBBY OF PARLIAMENT' well that has achieved ZERO, ZILCH errr NOTHING of any real substance, I called out in reply organise a national one day sit-in of all council housing offices. Such a national action would not impossible to organise for a national organisation such as DCH with its TU connections, not even requiring tenants to travel into London we all just would do it in our own housing offices in our home towns and cities, co-ordinated via DCH on a nationally agreed day, ie they put out the national press releases ensuring we get national media coverage or at least they give it their best shot, if there were thousands of tenants engaged in nation-wide sit-ins the media would have to cover it otherwise too many people would know the news didn't reflect the true reality of what was really going on.

DCH believe they're close to getting Labour to agree to the fourth option for council housing, I believe it's a red herring - a diversion and a wild goose chase sadly.

LOTS AND LOTS TO THINK ABOUT...

JUST FOUND THIS ON MY RECENT WEB SEARCHING...

Council tenants living in a tower block in Stockport are opposing recent "upgrading" of their security system which, along with the installation of extra CCTV cameras, has also seen the introduction of "electronic PAC fobs" in replacement of the old key system. The use of these swipe-keys to gain entry to the building is closely monitored, providing security with information on exactly who is in and out, and when the flat is empty.

All visitors and tenants will now be monitored, as they now have to gain access through security. One tenant has already had their fob blocked for dropping it out of their window to a visiting relative. Tenants are fighting back against the system by swapping fobs with other tenants on their block on a regular basis, so as to preserve access but disrupt the monitoring of their movements by the council security guards. This new system isn't exclusive to this area, and other tenants experiencing the same invasion of privacy are encouraged to follow a similar line of action.

For more information, contact  mrwinstonsmith@msn.com