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Social Housing/ private renters/ squatters/ homeless

marty21 said:
they were never going to replace one for everyone lost under RTB - I work for a London Local Authority and RTB applications have shot up since April - which is going to lead to longer periods on the waiting lists for families who are overcrowded and simply can't afford to buy a place
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so the extra discount is having an effect. what kind of percentage rise?
 
editor said:
Here's more from the Independent:
And more bullshit from that Shapps slug:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...ncil-homes-8976121.html?origin=internalSearch
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See the Labour party is criticising the Tory/ LD government. The last Labour government did little on to help solve the housing problem.

End of article quotes the Labour party promise to get built thousands of new houses. Heard Harriet Harman being asked about this on the radio. She was asked if this increase in supply would reduce house prices. (Which I thought was part of reason to do it). She hastily replied that she did not want to see house prices fall. Labour party are terrified of upsetting middle England home owners.
 
Good article from Guardian housing section demolishes myth of welfare dependency and social housing.
what many in social housing object to is the assertion that a dependency culture exists at all, and that tenants, their lifestyles and benefit eligibility are being linked to the UK's financial problems.
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AKA pseudonym said:
Protest against anti-squatting MP Chuka Umana... invited for dinner at Labour finance and industry group.... Tonight 6.30pm....
11 Stratford Place, Mayfair, W1
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and this is what he is saying this evening....http://www.theguardian.com/.../dec/03/labour-tories-umunna
Ambition and aspiration are not just Tory words from the Thatcher era and must be reclaimed by the centre-left, the shadow business secretary will say on Tuesday.

Chuka Umunna will make the case for Labour to talk more about the need for social mobility, saying the party wants to stand for a society where "the gates of opportunity are truly open to all".

In a speech to the Labour Finance and Industry Group annual dinner, Umunna will say his party's mission was to promote "dreams, ambitions, aspirations".
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I wish I could make this protest. Chuka's increasingly slippery Toryboy antics need to be exposed to all.
 
pm me here for more details....
There will be a meetup of Squatting Housing Activists in South London on Thursday 12th December @ 7pm nr. Borough High St (mail or ring me for venue)
Amongst topics of discussion will be resisting the introduction of laws making squatting in commercial premises illegal...

Recent letter in the Guardian opposing Law change:

Winter is a difficult time for the UK's homeless population (Report, 29 November). We are concerned at both the effect of existing legislation, which has made squatting in residential properties a criminal offence, and the proposals being made by some within the government to extend the law to encompass commercial properties. We fear that any further criminalisation which removes the option of seeking shelter in abandoned and unused commercial property would have disastrous consequences. We wish to remind the government of the tragic death of one homeless person already this year. Daniel Gauntlett died from exposure after police prevented him from entering a derelict house. At the very least, a thorough impact assessment should be undertaken in conjunction with homeless charities before any further legislation is even considered.
There are record numbers of people in temporary accommodation. Street homeless figures have skyrocketed in recent months and the full extent of the bedroom tax and welfare cuts are yet to be felt. Austerity measures have slashed vital funding to homeless services, which are already operating at full stretch. Removing the option of squatting in abandoned commercial spaces would be a further blow to an already marginalised and at-risk segment of society. As the weather worsens, the risks street homeless people face are greater. The government must take the very real link between squatting and homelessness into consideration.
Alastair Murray Housing JusticeBob Baker, Director Simon CommunitySarah Morris Housing Action Southwark & LambethJenny Hemmings Haringey Solidarity GroupMatt Kershaw Squatters Action for Secure HomesKate Hoey MP Labour, VauxhallJeremy Corbyn MP Labour, Islington NorthJohn McDonnell MP Labour, Hayes & Harlington
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Piece in The SW Londoner....

Campaigners are urging Lambeth residents to support a woman facing eviction from her family home.

Lambeth Housing Activists are organising a stall and petition this Saturday to protest against the eviction of Maritza Tschepp, who has lived in her Stockwell home for 33 years.

The house was one of many purchased by the council for demolition or regeneration in the 1970s, but after being left empty was designated as a ‘short-life’ property, meaning a tenant could live there paying little or no rent.

Despite being in a state of disarray when she moved in, Ms Tschepp has transformed the house, meaning it has gone up in value and would now be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The council has not invested any money in repairs or maintenance since.

“The impact of Lambeth’s actions on my family has caused extreme stress,” said Ms Tschepp.

“My children grew up in this house, it is our family home. I have invested decades of my own time and money into turning a neglected wreck into a comfortable home.


“It is upsetting that Lambeth seem to place no value on this, nor on my contribution to my local community. Instead this so-called ‘co-operative council’ intend to profit from my distress.”

Unhappy residents and campaigners have been protesting against the council’s policy of evicting people from their homes in the Lambeth United Housing Coop.

“Lambeth has proven itself to be a cynical and ruthless authority, showing little regards for some of its most vulnerable inhabitants,” said Lambeth Housing Activists on their website.
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As it goes the planned petition/stall was rained off on Saturday, though activists will be out this week distributing leaflets etc....
 
Rocket no.9 said:
Excellent article. Highly recommended reading. Chewing my way through it right now. Best thing I've read in the LRB for a while. Almost makes up for Alan effin Bennett's mithering piffle:mad:
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Yes. The Bennett piece was dully predictable.

Not all the LRB's long essays work as well as Meek's - the one about the murdered theatre director was, for me, unfinishable.
 
As mentioned in the Crownstone Court thread, this from Cllr Atkins today: "You may know that a number of people are being evicted/giving up flats in Crownstone as the rent had been put up 20% 2 years running. I think it would be a good issue for TRA to have a meeting on to invite people to share their experiences, perhaps write a joint letter to the land lord and get some publicity . I think some of the flats are in a poor condition and many of the tenants have been there over 20 years and should have some legal rights…"
 
The next Housing Activists organising meeting is on Tuesday 14th January,7pm at the Effra Social (next to the Hootanany on Effra Road).

The meeting will include updates and discussion on threated council stock transfers, TMO's, the campaign to stop Meritza's eviction, the council lobby , the latest newsletter.
 
Lambeth Green Party Press Release


Lambeth Labour's Housing Scandal Deepens


Lambeth Council's scandalous eviction of 40-year-old 'shortlife' housing co-operatives has taken a new twist with Lambeth Green Party's discovery of yet another broken promise from the ruling Labour group.


In their 2010 local election manifesto Lambeth Labour Party pledged that they would:


"Never sell off council-owned homes unless the proceeds will pay to make at least double the number of homes available for rent."


This has clearly not happened and this hostage to fortune has now become all the more pertinent with the 'shortlife' scandal. 'Shortlife' housing has been sold to private buyers with the proceeds being used to boost the council's cash reserves rather than being ringfenced.


Recent FOI requests on the subject of “shortlife” housing have been rejected as vexatious, highlighting both the council's lack of transparency and acute embarrassment.


And in yet a further broken housing promise the council stated as recently as last month that it will only guarantee that 40 per cent of its Somerleyton Road development in Brixton will be offered at social rent. This despite a pledge to ensure 50 per cent of all new developments would be social housing.


Lambeth Green Party spokesman Jonathan Bartley said:


"Raising funds off the back of residents who have been in Lambeth for up to 40 years is morally wrong to start with, but to do so and not use the money to increase housing stock is outrageous - all the more so when it was 'promised'."


"This betrayal underlines how flawed Lambeth's eviction policy is, a triple whammy for housing: selling off social housing stock, throwing people onto an already massive waiting list and not using the money for more social housing."


Julian Hall, Green Party spokesman for Clapham, where many housing co-ops are situated, added:


"This is yet another broken promise by the Labour Party, but should we be surprised? Elderly and vulnerable co-op residents in Clapham were categorically told that 'Labour councillors will continue to fight for your right to stay in your homes' only for these same councillors to support the evictions!"


"The evictions policy has been slammed by all parties, including national Labour figures, but Lambeth want to press on regardless, refusing to answer any questions on it. The arrogance of the council is frightening. Lambeth is far from the 'co-operative council' it wants to be."


"What is happening to housing co-ops should act as a warning to all Lambeth residents - Labour will break its promises."
 
Gramsci said:
The next Housing Activists organising meeting is on Tuesday 14th January,7pm at the Effra Social (next to the Hootanany on Effra Road).

The meeting will include updates and discussion on threated council stock transfers, TMO's, the campaign to stop Meritza's eviction, the council lobby , the latest newsletter.
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Have fun. I'll be over the road at our monthly TRA meeting where we'll be discussing progress on the current improvement projects with Lambeth and the contractors.
 
Another intriguing chart, from the Economist:
econ.jpg

Bit like the LRB one: see how population and house prices appear to be linked!

chart1.jpg
 
Defend Squatting Protest at Leader's Question Time Streatham

Thursday 16th Jan @ 6.30pm
Streatham Ice Rink

The leader of Lambeth Council, Lib Peck in September 2013 signed a letter calling for the complete criminalisation of squatting. We are planning to attend an event called 'Leader's Question Time' at which the public are invited to put questions to her, to publicly confront her about her views against squatting....

We will put one question to Lib Peck:
"As you are calling for the end of all squatting, will you feel responsible for those who will die on the streets as a result of a change in the law? "

The leader of Lambeth Council, Lib Peck in September 2013 signed a letter calling for the complete criminalisation of squatting. We are planning to attend an event called 'Leader's Question Time' at which the public are invited to put questions to her, to publicly confront her about her views against squatting.

Facebook event
 
That was r-a-t-h-e-r a good meeting. Residents who had not come to a meeting before were there. Our councillors Mary and Marcia turned up and listened well. The council tenants and leaseholders stayed on after the main business to show solidarity with two private renters who told us the immense pressure they are under. We told them about the Housing Activists meeting and they went over the road to Effra Social to check it out. Some good connections were made and some plots hatched.
 
Latest Lambeth Housing Activist newsletter here. Click on image to make it bigger.

Also info here on Lambeth Housing Activist website.

1779818_10152742658232788_373099914_n.jpg
1551720_10152742654162788_122610828_n.jpg
 
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