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No choice but to raise the rent
• I WELCOME Paul Tomlinson’s letter outlining the government’s unhelpful funding regime, which has obliged us to raise rents again this year, and to consider converting some of this rent into service charges (Fight to keep our housing costs down, February 1).
In the light of these increases imposed on us, however, I’m particularly glad this administration has been able to freeze council tax this year, to reduce the impact of rent rises on the less well off and those with fixed incomes.
Some 75,000 of Camden’s residents live in our 25,000 tenanted council properties – both estate properties and street properties – and many thousands of these, as we know, suffer from overcrowding or disrepair.
However, government is this year cutting its central support for Camden’s housing service by £6.22 million, and this means we really have no choice but to raise rents by five per cent.
We have argued with this settlement and won back an extra £1 million to support Camden’s tenants, but – needing every penny we can get – we have had to consider converting some of this rent figure into service charges, because the government gives us extra money for housing if we do so.
By converting some of this rent into service charges next year – while keeping the total increase to the five per cent required of us – Camden’s housing will gain an extra £365,000.
Our aim remains to provide a strong, positive council housing sector for Camden, and we are working to find the best way forward in difficult financial circumstances.
CLLR CHRIS NAYLOR
Exec Member for Housing Camden Council
Town Hall
Judd Street, WC1
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