|
|
 |
| |
We shall be pressing for ‘decent homes’ funding
• WITH the mayoral election upon us, I want to reassure any doubters that this council will be pressing the mayor’s office on funding for Camden’s decent homes.
We have an open invitation to pursue this – whoever is elected – and that is exactly what we will do.
As your readers will know, the 2007 GLA Act means the incoming mayor will, for the first time, get responsibility for housing funds, totalling £3.97 billion over 2008-2011.
This was announced by GLA officers at our housing strategy launch in October 2007.
Since then I personally have had several discussions with GLA officers and, of course, housing staff are in contact too.
In my last conversation it was agreed the mayor’s office would welcome discussions with us on a bid, after the election results are known.
There are two key points readers will want to bear in mind in understanding the council’s position on this.
First, that though government has indeed allocated the mayor nearly £4 billion for London’s housing, the largest slice of this – £3.2 billion – is for new building, and does nothing to help London’s existing housing.
The next largest slice – £0.44 billion – is indeed for decent homes, but this is money which is already allocated to boroughs who agreed to this Labour government’s arms-length management organisation or stock transfer options. Camden can’t bid into it.
The remaining slice, which Camden will bid into – closing date July 2008 – is £0.171 billion, just 4 per cent of this new housing budget.
And to put it into perspective this is for the whole of London, over a three-year period, and – under Labour rules – not just for councils but also for ALMOs, and even “Housing Corporation Investment Partners”.
It’s suggested that government may provide more funding through the new successor body to English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation and, of course, Camden is in contact with senior figures in both agencies already.
However, at our last meeting with the housing minister it was made clear that government could make no exception for Camden.
We will, of course, challenge the new minister on this at our next meeting.
Secondly, I remind readers that our current limited sales programme is a pilot agreed by the council’s executive less than a year ago, and up for review shortly.
Naturally the outcome of the mayoral election will be a key factor, and were an incoming mayor to offer help I would, of course, raise it with executive colleagues immediately. However, I would note that it looks as though we will raise this year’s £11 million target by selling only 24 empty units – out of the council’s 24,000 – rather than the 50 originally authorised.
We would much rather not sell any, but our agreed options appraisal does commit us to build back new replacement homes so not to reduce Camden’s rented stock.
We will also want flexibility on this when we next meet the minister. Our original plan was to focus sales on empty one- and two-bedroom flats, but permission was blocked, hence our focus solely on properties in serious disrepair that we cannot afford to get into use.
There have been calls for us to “do a deal with Ken” to ensure his backing before the election. But our view is that to side with any individual candidate risks disadvantaging Camden’s council residents, had we backed the wrong horse.
Cllr Chris Naylor
Executive Member for Housing
Investment now, please
• WHAT is the world coming to when it’s a Labour government that won’t invest in our council housing?
I have never lived in a council property, yet I know and have worked with many people who have to face the day-to-day misery of living in appalling overcrowded conditions, of leaky roofs, damp, broken heating and cooking facilities that don’t work.
Many people simply don’t understand the knock-on effects poor housing has on people’s health, self-esteem and how kids get along at school.
These people do not want platitudes or dogmatic clap-trap from politicians. Council tenants need action.
At least this council is doing something to get the investment for people’s council homes. It’s time Labour stood up for what they are supposed to believe in, stop taking council tenants for granted and invest in our council homes. If they don’t they risk doing irreparable damage to the people they are duty-bound to serve.
Phil Stanier, NW1
|
 |
|
| |
|
|
|
