| |
Democracy the victim as tenants’ voice is silenced
• LET’S get this straight: Homes for Islington (HfI) is getting rid of the Islington-wide democratic tenants’ organisation, accountable to those it represents, paid for from tenants’ rents and which provides a forum where elected tenant reps can exchange information, share concerns and take a collective view about local and national housing issues, because supposedly there are insufficient tenants’ and residents’ associations (TRAs) in Islington, too few claim their allowances and HfI needs to improve the levels of involvement of younger and black and minority ethnic (BME) residents?
In its place it will have more mystery shopping, cherry-picked forums and individuals who will compliantly respond to questionnaires with leading questions designed to get the answers that HfI wants. And on top HfI is to help TRA reps to set their priorities?
And these more undemocratic processes are going to provide a better consultation process for all council tenants and genuinely engage more BME and younger residents? I don’t think so.
This is the kind of madness that is endemic in all those undemocratic and unaccountable quangos, like HfI, EC1 New Deal, Islington Strategic Partnership, Camden and Islington PCT and the 1,000 more that are answerable not to those they serve but to central government and who are part of the reason there is such disengagement anyway.
However, those who must take the responsibility for this particular decision are the local politicians who are still our landlord and who think they can hide behind the quango they have contracted to manage our homes.
Islington’s Lib Dems and New Labour both had prior knowledge of the proposal to get rid of the Federation of Islington Tenants’ Associations, while council tenants were kept completely in the dark. Both parties would have discussed it in their group meetings and both have representatives on the HfI board that unanimously supported disbanding our federation without even batting an eyelid.
SHARRON KELLY
Chair, The Finsbury Estate Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, EC1
• IN these current gloomy times, it is always good to read a statement from HfI to make you laugh.
HfI said: “We are committed to ensuring all tenants have access to a well-supported and active tenants’ and residents’ association” (Closure looms for ‘thorn in the side’ tenants’ group, February 13).
How laughable is this if you live on Popham Street estate. In October 2007, we had our first TRA meeting for nearly three years. The main purpose of this meeting was to discuss the proposed security system for Popham Street walkways.
This meeting was held after a complaint in the Tribune letters pages about the lack of TRA meetings for our estate. At the meeting, the chair, Barbara Coventry (who also works for HfI), said that all our names and addresses would be taken, we would be committee members and the next meeting would be at the beginning of November or December 2007. And in the meantime we would have regular updates as she now had our addresses.
These meetings did not take place, as I pointed out in my letter to the Tribune in December 2007. As of February 2009, no meetings have taken place.
I have written to Ms Coventry on three occasions (via Islington Town Hall, as I don’t know her home address), and had no reply.
Central Street housing office says meetings should have taken place, and does not understand why they haven’t, and that it would contact Ms Coventry to find out why. As yet, no reply.
So, HfI, can you please tell me how committed you are to “ensuring all tenants have access to a well-supported and active tenants’ and residents’ association” when you look at the track record of a TRA chaired by a member of HfI?
M RUTHERFORD
Popham Street, N1
|
| |
|
 |
| |
| |
| |
