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Homes are being sold now
Open Letter to Ken Livingstone / Camden Council and Camden councillors
• MAYOR Ken Livingstone, made a bold pledge to supply the investment to refurbish our homes and stop the sell-offs at auction to developers.
The money is Camden’s “for the asking…” and Camden are quoted as saying they are indeed planning to ask the mayor for some of the £4billion pounds he will “seize control of” in April (I’ll repair homes, says mayor Ken, March 20).
Time is of the essence: our homes are being sold as we write. This money is needed now, we want no more homes sold and some of our members are frightened that their homes will be sold from under their feet – the same fear expressed by tenants who attended the association’s general meeting on March 3 – we’ve been hearing these concerns for a long time and the anxiety being caused to tenants needs to end now.
We trust that this offer is genuine and meaningful because to play politics at this crucial time and give rise to false hope would be particularly cruel. It would, however, seem pertinent to ask why this funding has not been made available in the past, especially as the plight of Camden tenants and the fight for direct investment for repairs to our council homes has been so well documented by this newspaper?
This is about saving our homes and communities. Previous monies offered from the mayor seem to have been in the context of “new builds” and “greening”. It is understood that “new builds” are limited by space in inner London and it is understood that housing officers now refer to our “homes” as “products” about which we must be “flexible”. This language and the thinking it exemplifies are entirely unacceptable.
We live in Camden. This borough has a long and cosmopolitan history of which we are all part and all proud. Our council properties are very much a part of this valued and long tradition and have provided homes to generations of families over the years. The current administration’s plans to sell even a limited number of empty (non-occupied) properties is completely unacceptable and historically tenants living in these properties have always made their views known on the issue of stock transfer and selling off these properties.
Ken, you have offered much-needed light at the end of a very long dark tunnel. We would ask that you, Camden Council and all our elected councillors show themselves to be speedy in their endeavours and to work together to save all our homes. Surely the time is right for Camden councillors from all political parties to set their differences aside in order to stop these sales and to fight for the investment which is so desperately needed for repairs to all our council homes.
There is one way forward: apply for direct investment. Receive direct investment. Stop the sell-offs. Save all our homes!
Any concerned or interested tenant should contact mailto:camdenstreet properties@yahoo.co.ukor visit: www.casweb.org/casp
DAVID RODGERS
For and on behalf of the Camden Association of Street Properties
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