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Fight this blackmail of tenants, Lib Dems told
New Journal special focus on housing crisis facing families across borough
TENANTS have told housing chiefs to get off the sidelines and start fighting for investment in Camden’s council homes.
Alan Walter, a chief organiser of pressure group Defend Council Housing, told last Monday’s full council meeting that the chase for direct investment was no longer “a spectator sport”.
The government has penalised Camden to the tune of £300 million for the past three years, withholding the funding needed to bring Camden’s crumbling estates up to national standards.
Ministers have kept the cash because tenants voted against switching control of their homes away from the council and to an Arms-Length Management Organisation, a new independent company.
Mr Walter said that while politicians in Camden from all parties agreed the government was unfair to hold back the money – there needed to be another big push to lobby ministers and an organised campaign with other boroughs facing the same dilemma.
In a deputation to the full council, Mr Walter said: “At the elections in May, all of the parties stood on the basis that they believed in direct investment. We welcome that but this isn’t a spectator sport. We are winning the argument with ministers. We are winning the argument with government. I think we can win this, we can stop this blackmail of tenants.”
Mr Walter is one of a group of tenants who have appeared at conferences, meetings, lobbied MPs and councillors and given up days of spare time to protest against Almos and other forms of management transfers.
He has now become a nationally recognised figure in housing politics and called on Camden to get involved in a London wide conference.
Drawn on whether he was contemplating failure or had come up with a ‘plan B’ after three years of lobbying failed to haul in investment, Mr Walter said: “I don’t think this is the time to be thinking about a plan B. Not when we have come so far.”
Lib Dem housing chief Councillor Chris Naylor said he could not make any guarantees on funding or hosting a conference but added: “We find it deeply concerning that the government has withheld the money while tenants are waiting for repairs to their homes.” |
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