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Don’t let the council divide us on housing
• I TOO am very glad to read the debate about housing sparked off by the CNJ article (Transplant patient fights to stay in home of 30 years, Nov 16) to which Mr Williams has now contributed twice.
I hope this becomes more than a debate and continues until the council and the government provide decent homes for all who need them by building new, renovating existing and claiming unused properties.
We are not pawns to be moved around mechanically. How can people ever put down roots and feel they belong somewhere, and become involved in community life?
I do not ally myself to any party but I would not call myself a socialist if I also congratulated people living out Thatcher’s dream of buying social housing, becoming landlords and making a fortune from it.
I have always believed in and fought for decent social housing, for single people as well as families, and for “alternative” lifestyles as well as the norm.
It is because of the continuation of Thatcher’s policies that we are pitted against each other in this deplorable way when we should be fighting for decent housing for all.
Former Carol Street residents “outgoing” are not all “living happily elsewhere” as the housing department want people to believe.
One very dear friend, also for some long time in ill health, died earlier this year as a result of the stress caused by being forced out of his Carol Street home of 25 years.
He did not want to leave and live in isolation where we could not easily help to care for him and he died three days before he was due to move
He was a former chair of Carol Street Housing Co-op and stood up against injustice and fought to preserve our true Cooperative principles. As Jimmy Higgins’s carer I fear for his health and this stress is now affecting my health too.
I know people desperately need affordable homes. The council needs to build more.
As for councils not using right-to-buy money for new building, I understood that they were not allowed to by the government so how can it be right for people to make money from housing that rightfully should be affordable?
We must not let the council divide us over our housing, we must stand up together for good quality secure homes for all.
PLUME TARRANT
Carol Street, NW1
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