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Coalition dragging their feet on rent reductions
• I’M disappointed with the Liberal Democrat/Conservative coalition in Camden Council dragging their feet on the matter of council house rent reduction.
The government has now announced additional support for local authorities to help keep rent down for council tenants.
But it seems Camden would rather fleece residents in these times of economic uncertainty with inflation-busting rent increases.
The average guideline rent increase for local authority tenants in 2009/10 will be halved from 6.2 per cent to around 3.1 per cent to encourage councils to reduce the amount tenants would have to pay for the coming year.
The changes to the guideline rent increase means tenants should see a marked drop in their proposed average rent increase for the coming year from around £4 per week to approximately just under £2.
Local authorities are being invited to bid for additional subsidy before the end of April and to introduce new, lower rent increases as soon as is practicable.
My advice to Camden Council is to stop picking on local residents, like those I campaign for in Kentish Town, look again at your disastrous social housing policies and start giving real help to local residents by decreasing rent for council tenants.
AWALE OLAD
Kentish Town Campaigner
Address supplied
No respect or sympathy
• THE Labour government has to some extent relented on its earlier intention to increase social housing rents in Camden by 6.5 per cent.
The increase demanded by the government is now likely to be about half the original proposal – an average of about £2.60 a week instead of £5.20.
It is still too much. The increase is still well above the rate of inflation, and contrasts with Liberal Democrat-led Camden Council’s decision to freeze council tax for the next two years, and not to add to families’ economic problems in these exceptionally difficult times.
In demanding above-inflation rent increases the government is treating council tenants with neither respect nor sympathy.
Tenants note: it is the Liberal Democrats who are on your side and not on your back.
ROBIN YOUNG
Bedford Avenue, WC1
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