Lambeth’s destructive housing policy and the mental health crisis

[editor]

There's a really interesting piece just gone up on Brixton Buzz by Irma Allen. It's hard not to get depressed and angry at the current situation which shows no signs of improving.
Lambeth’s destructive housing policy undermines its own efforts to tackle severe mental health crisis

 

[Gramsci]

It was something that came up at the Cressingham Gardens housing question time. As Irma points out the effect on peoples "well being" as its called, of so called regeneration projects is under researched. The academics at the housing question time both thought it was an issue.

Lambeth Labour view is that this is collateral damage for the greater good. Except they will not say that.

MP Steve Reed, who initiated the co-operative council concept in Lambeth, writes “handing power to the people is not straightforward because it means taking power away from those who currently hold it; they will often resist this change both individually and organisationally. Councils are structured to provide top-down services, and these structures need to change if we want citizen-led services to thrive”.

Where do I start?

I mean really. I have just spent the last year Council officers telling me they are in charge, Council want Coop out and that’s that.

Its not a Cooperative Council. The Council is an arm of the state and it has a lot of powers. Once every four years people get a chance to vote who will have their hands on the levers of power Thats how it works.

Over on Somerleyton Rd the Council are involved in “setting up” what Bennett calls a “genuine” co-op; presumably a Council-sanctioned and initiated one, and one which Carlton Mansions shortlife housing co-op had to make way for earlier this year… Hardly befitting the ‘co-operative council’s’ claim of wanting to “transfer power to its citizens”.

 

[Gramsci]

Another good thing about Irma article is that she points out that the Council destroys communities instead of fostering them.

This when importance of peoples mental health and well being are becoming politically mainstream.

So the Council destroy a community like mine. The effect of this on some of my ex Coop members well being was significant. I saw what it did to people and it affected me as well.

As Irma points out its now considered to be beneficial for people to have a good community/ social network to live in.

People like Bennett and Steve Reed are part of the Westminster political elite and do not know what its like for ordinary people.

As Irma points out Council sets up initiatives like "The Collaborative: living well in Lambeth" to deal with the problem of isolation and mental health. When it has functioning communities like Cressingham Gardens which it wants to get rid of. Or my Coop.

On the front wall of the Mansions is plaque to Julian who lived at Mansions on and off from when it started. He was HIV+ and Coop members did a lot to support him when he was ill. This at a time when Thatcher was not keen on gays. Coop provided him with a supportive community when he was seriously ill.

This is what Lambeth fucking Council destroyed.

There was programme last night about mental health/ wellbeing and business

In the programme one person talked about emotional literacy and the way that organisations deal with people. Its really something the Council should learn about. As I do not see Council as emotionally literate. More of a passive aggressive bully.

 

[Greebo]

One of the key factors in reducing stress and feeling generally happy and secure, is control.

There's not a lot of control in the hands of people living here. As things stand, the test of opinion will only allow one person per household (the one named on the leasehold or the tenancy agreement) to fill in the form about the options for the future of the estate.

Once filled in and returned, it turns out that the council don't even have to make more than a gesture at abiding by the views expressed in that test of opinion. Even when the evidence gets taken to cabinet, what people living here have said has no legal weight whatsoever.

So what's the point? Lambeth will do what they do, and the workshops, working groups, and the test of opinion count for nothing. "Working with residents" my arse.

 

[ViolentPanda]

One of the key factors in reducing stress and feeling generally happy and secure, is control.

There's not a lot of control in the hands of people living here. As things stand, the test of opinion will only allow one person per household (the one named on the leasehold or the tenancy agreement) to fill in the form about the options for the future of the estate.

Once filled in and returned, it turns out that the council don't even have to make more than a gesture at abiding by the views expressed in that test of opinion. Even when the evidence gets taken to cabinet, what people living here have said has no legal weight whatsoever.

So what's the point? Lambeth will do what they do, and the workshops, working groups, and the test of opinion count for nothing. "Working with residents" my arse.

The point is that their "test of opinion" (and I'm looking forward to doing a bit of textual analysis on how the questions are formulated!) gives a yardstick of what we want - a yardstick against which what "the cabinet" proposes can be measured.
And publicised.

 

[Greebo]

The point is that their "test of opinion" (and I'm looking forward to doing a bit of textual analysis on how the questions are formulated!) gives a yardstick of what we want - a yardstick against which what "the cabinet" proposes can be measured.
And publicised.

The "test of opinion" (sic) paper still has to be put out to tender and then formulated (rushed botch job, anyone?) but I may have something for you to read, just for your gut reaction. Nothing's set in stone yet.