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Camden New Journal - Letters to the Editor
Published: 15 November 2007

Tenants and leaseholders object

• THE planned council Housing Management ‘Improvement’ Programme does not augur well for tenants and leaseholders.
Do Camden honestly believe that the proposed mixture of centralisation of some services and contracting out – privatising – of others will bring better value for money for us?
A mixture of support and enforcement has led to big reductions in the amounts of arrears owed to local authorities and I believe the centralisation of the rents service threatens this. At present an estate manager knows which tenants are in arrears and can speak to them directly to explain the options. This local contact will be lost. Further we have seen with building works and parking services that where Camden loses direct control of services by contracting them out we are often left with appalling standards of delivery by companies making huge amounts of money from us.
Camden’s housing delivery is far from perfect but it does perform well by government standards and is directly accountable.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that any money saved by a reduction in costs and wages will result in lower rents or services charges. I would urge tenants and leaseholders to let the housing department know they object to these changes.
JAMES TATE
Secretary Artisans Dwellings Tenants and Residents Association, NW1

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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