Matthew Weaver, Guardian
05/10/17
Guardian
19/10/16
Matt Wilde, Guardian
26/09/16
Bob Kerslake, Guardian
05/05/16
Julia Hartley-Brewer, Daily Telegraph
14/01/16
Guardian
18/09/15
Aditya Chakrabortty, Guardian
14/10/14
Martin Wicks, Wordpress
04/02/14
Polly Toynbee, Guardian
19/02/13
24dash.com
22/02/12
Guardian
01/01/12
Kirkintilloch Herald
30/09/11
Independent
08/09/11
Inside Housing
30/08/11
Evening Standard
20/07/11
Jon Snow, Independent
04/07/11
Peter Hetherington, Guardian
21/06/11
Inside Housing
13/06/11
Inside Housing
06/06/11
Inside Housing
02/06/11
Inside Housing
19/05/11
Inside Housing
16/05/11
Socialist Worker
14/05/11
24 Dash.Com
19/04/11
Inside Housing
09/03/11
Inside Housing
25/02/11
Inside Housing
11/11/10
Editorial, Guardian
30/10/10
Inside Housing
29/10/10
Inside Housing
27/10/10
Socialist Worker
23/10/10
Socialist Worker
16/10/10
24 Housing
15/10/10
Morning Star
11/10/10
Inside Housing
05/10/10
Tim Leunig, Inside Housing
27/08/10
Camden New Journal
01/07/10
Inside Housing
04/06/10
Camden New Journal
13/05/10
Torquay Herald Express
15/04/10
CLG
29/03/10
The Guardian
26/03/10
Inside Housing
25/03/10
Inside Housing
19/03/10
Inside Housing
12/03/10
Inside Housing
12/02/10
Inside Housing
12/02/10
Inside Housing
05/02/10
CLG
11/01/10
HCA
11/01/10
CLG
09/12/09
Inside Housing
30/10/09
Inside Housing
27/10/09
Tribune
08/10/09
Inside Housing
17/09/09
Inside Housing
11/09/09
Daily Mirror
09/09/09
LGA
04/09/09
Inside Housing
07/08/09
Inside Housing
24/07/09
Inside Housing
22/07/09
CLG
21/07/09
Gordon Brown, Inside Housing
17/07/09
24dash
17/07/09
Observer
12/07/09
Inside Housing
10/07/09
John Lines, Inside Housing
10/07/09
Public Finance
09/07/09
Regeneration & Renewal
06/07/09
Inside Housing
03/07/09
Inside Housing
03/07/09
DCLG
30/06/09
Guardian
30/06/09
Inside Housing
29/06/09
CIH
29/06/09
Gail Cartmail, Public Finance
26/06/09
Inside Housing
19/06/09
Inside Housing
17/06/09
Unite
17/06/09
Inside Housing
16/06/09
The Mirror
16/06/09
Inside Housing
12/06/09
Inside Housing
10/06/09
The Guardian
10/06/09
Cambridge City News
06/06/09
Inside Housing
05/06/09
The Scottish Government
26/05/09
Inside Housing
15/05/09
Inside Housing
15/05/09
BBC
14/05/09
Inside Housing
11/05/09
Inside Housing
11/05/09
Peter Hetherington, Guardian
06/05/09
Inside Housing
01/05/09
Inside Housing
01/05/09
Inside Housing
23/04/09
Inside Housing
20/04/09
Inside Housing
17/04/09
Guardian
07/04/09
David Gibson, Inside Housing
03/04/09
Bury Times
26/03/09
Peter Hetherington, The Guardian
25/03/09
Michael Meacher, The Guardian
15/03/09
Deborah Orr, Independent
05/03/09
Ken Livingstone, Guardian
04/03/09
Inside Housing
04/03/09
Cornish Guardian
04/03/09
Inside Housing
02/03/09
BBC Radio 4
26/02/09
Merton Guardian
26/02/09
The Guardian
25/02/09
John Perry, Public Finance
25/02/09
Peter Hetherington, Guardian
24/02/09
BBC
23/02/09
BBC
18/02/09
Inside Housing
13/02/09
Inside Housing
13/02/09
Jeff Zitron, Inside Housing
13/02/09
Inside Housing
11/02/09
Inside Housing
09/02/09
Jill Sherman and Fiona Hamilton , Times
07/02/09
Jill Sherman and Fiona Hamilton , Times
07/02/09
Inside Housing
06/02/09
Inside Housing
06/02/09
Jules Birch, Inside Housing
06/02/09
Keith Richmond, Tribune
05/02/09
Richard Capie, Local Government Chronicle
05/02/09
24dash
04/02/09
Inside Housing
03/02/09
Exploring 20th C London
01/02/09
Times
30/01/09
Guardian
30/01/09
Beena Nadeem, Inside Housing
30/01/09
Clara Story, Inside Housing
30/01/09
Inside Housing
30/01/09
Inside Housing
30/01/09
Dean Carroll, Public Service
30/01/09
Times
30/01/09
Paul Burnham, Inside Housing
30/01/09
24dash
29/01/09
BBC
29/01/09
Inside Housing
23/01/09
Bob Roberts, Daily Mirror
22/01/09
Shelter
22/01/09
Inside Housing
22/01/09
thisisstaffordshire
22/01/09
Alan Walter, Inside Housing
21/01/09
Patrick Wintour, Guardian
21/01/09
Daily Mirror
21/01/09
Jules Birch, Inside Housing
21/01/09
CLG
21/01/09
BBC
18/01/09
BBC
15/01/09
Peter Hetherington, Guardian
07/01/09
Inside Housing
15/12/08
Inside Housing
12/12/08
Inside Housing
05/12/08
Kate Murray, Inside Housing
05/12/08
Jason Beattie, Daily Mirror
03/12/08
James Beatie, Daily Mirror
03/12/08
Jill Sherman, Times
27/11/08
Unite @ctivist
27/11/08
Inside Housing
26/11/08
24dash
24/11/08
Nick Mathiason , Observer
23/11/08
Tim Dwelly, Inside Housing
21/11/08
Alan Rickman, Inside Housing
21/11/08
Jon Cruddas, Inside Housing
21/11/08
Focus
17/11/08
Alan Walter, Inside Housing
14/11/08
Public Finance
14/11/08
Jill Sherman, Times
10/11/08
Alex Klaushofer, Inside Housing
07/11/08
Inside Housing
31/10/08
Inside Housing
30/10/08
Jim Pickard , FT
18/10/08
John Harris , Guardian
30/09/08
John Harris , Guardian
30/09/08
Inside Housing
23/09/08
24dash
23/09/08
Alan Walter, Guardian
22/09/08
Tom Lloyd, Inside Housing
22/09/08
Saba Salman, Guardian
19/09/08
Stanley Pignal , Financial Times
19/09/08
Saba Salman, Guardian
17/09/08
Kate Murray, Inside Housing
12/09/08
Tom Lloyd , Inside Housing
11/09/08
Mike Thatcher, Public Finance
05/09/08
Tony Woodley, SCGN
01/09/08
Martin Hilditch, Inside Housing
29/08/08
Inside Housing
15/08/08
The Guardian
13/08/08
Holly Bentley , Guardian
13/08/08
Lynsey Hanley , Guardian
13/08/08
Nicholas Timmins, FT
09/08/08
Inside Housing
08/08/08
The Guardian
06/08/08
Inside Housing
01/08/08
Inside Housing
01/08/08
Jon Cruddas, Inside Housing
01/08/08
Neil Merrick, Public Finance
01/08/08
Jules Birch, Inside Housing
01/08/08
Inside Housing
25/07/08
Tony Woodley, Guardian
25/07/08
Doug Morrison, Property Week
25/07/08
Guardian
24/07/08
Society Guardian
24/07/08
Inside Housing
19/07/08
24dash
18/07/08
24dash
16/07/08
Inside Housing
11/07/08
Duncan Bowie, Compass
11/07/08
Inside Housing
09/07/08
BBC
05/07/08
Inside Housing
04/07/08
Inside Housing
04/07/08
Inside Housing
04/07/08
James Meikle, Society Guardian
03/07/08
Society Guardian
02/07/08
Public Finance
27/06/08
24dash
27/06/08
Martin Hilditch , Inside Housing
20/06/08
Inside Housing
20/06/08
LGA Firstonline
18/06/08
LGA
17/06/08
The Observer
15/06/08
Inside Housing
06/06/08
Glyn Robbins, Compass
04/06/08
Peter Hetherington, Guardian
04/06/08
Inside Housing
30/05/08
Public Finance
30/05/08
Martin Hilditch, Inside Housing
30/05/08
Public Finance
23/05/08
24dash
22/05/08
24dash
21/05/08
BBC
16/05/08
LGA
16/05/08
Inside Housing
15/05/08
Inside Housing
15/05/08
James Lyons, Daily Mirror
09/05/08
Public Finance
09/05/08
24dash
09/05/08
Inside Housing
09/05/08
Inside Housing
09/05/08
John Bibby, Public Servoce
01/05/08
Waverley Council
01/05/08
Inside Housing
18/04/08
Richard Osley, Camden New Journal
17/04/08
Richard Osley, Camden New Journal
17/04/08
Gaby Hinsliff, Observer
06/04/08
Patrick Wintour, Guardian
01/04/08
BBC
31/03/08
Inside Housing
28/03/08
Emily Rogers , Inside Housing
28/03/08
24dash
28/03/08
Inside Housing
21/03/08
Inside Housing
21/03/08
Inside Housing
21/03/08
Steve Partridge, Inside Housing
21/03/08
Anita Pati , Inside Housing
21/03/08
Public Finance
14/03/08
Public Finance
22/02/08
Inside Housing
08/02/08
Bob Roberts, Daily Mirror
06/02/08
Adam Sampson, Daily Mirror
06/02/08
Kevin Maguire, Daily Mirror
06/02/08
Leader, Guardian
06/02/08
various, Guardian
06/02/08
Patrick Wintour, Guardian
06/02/08
Lynsey Hanley, Guardian
06/02/08
Jill Sherman, Times
06/02/08
Bob Roberts, Daily Mirror
06/02/08
Rosalind Ryan and Andrew Sparrow , Guardian Unlimited
05/02/08
BBC
05/02/08
Adam Sampson, Guardian
05/02/08
Patrick Wintour, Guardian
05/02/08
Independent
05/02/08
24dash
05/02/08
Emily Rogers , Inside Housing
14/01/08
Martin Hilditch , Inside Housing
10/01/08
Emily Rogers , Inside Housing
10/01/08
Peter Hetherington, Guardian
07/01/08
24 Dash
02/01/08
Derek Simpson, Unite-Amicus
17/12/07
Inside Housing
14/12/07
Emily Rogers , Inside Housing
14/12/07
Yvette Cooper , CLG
12/12/07
Yorkshire Evening Post
06/12/07
Peter Hetherington, The Guardian
28/11/07
24dash
28/11/07
George Monbiot, Guardian
27/11/07
Public Finance
23/11/07
Inside Housing
22/11/07
Inside Housing
22/11/07
Inside Housing
22/11/07
Keith Cooper, Inside Housing
22/11/07
Public Finance
09/11/07
CLG
05/11/07
Simon Brandon, Inside Housing
02/11/07
Emily Rogers , Inside Housing
01/11/07
Emily Rogers , Inside Housing
01/11/07
Andrew Bolger, Financial Times
01/11/07
Natalie Bennett:,
28/10/07
Unison
26/10/07
Inside Housing
15/10/07
Yorkshire Post
12/10/07
Emily Rogers , Inside Housing
11/10/07
Barking & Dagenham Council
06/10/07
Beena Nadeem , Inside Housing
05/10/07
Brian Baker , Inside Housing
04/10/07
Martin Hilditch , Inside Housing
04/10/07
24 Dash
03/10/07
Martin Hilditch, Inside Housing
28/09/07
Larry Elliott, Guardian
28/09/07
Public Finance
28/09/07
24 Dash.com
27/09/07
Martin Hilditch , Inside Housing
27/09/07
Julian Bailey, BBC
27/09/07
24dash
26/09/07
24 Dash
21/09/07
Inside Housing
21/09/07
Inside Housing
21/09/07
Inside Housing
21/09/07
Inside Housing
21/09/07
BBC
19/09/07
24dash
19/09/07
Haroon Siddique, Guardian Unlimited
14/09/07
BBC
14/09/07
Martin Hilditch, Inside Housing
14/09/07
Emily Rogers , Inside Housing
13/09/07
24 Dash
10/09/07
24 Dash
10/09/07
Angela Saini, BBC
08/08/07
Martin Hilditch, Inside Housing
28/07/07
Martin Hilditch, Inside Housing
20/07/07
BBC
12/07/07
Inside Housing
01/06/07
Naima Bouteldja and Stuart Hodkinson , Blink
04/04/07
Bob Roberts, Daily Mirror
21/02/07
24 Dash
20/02/07
24dash
19/02/07
Bob Roberts, Daily Mirror
19/02/07
Times
13/02/07
24 Dash
02/02/07
Local Government Chronicle
01/01/07
Angela Saini, BBC
05/12/06
24dash
21/09/06
24dash
18/09/06
Martin Hilditch, Inside Housing
15/09/06
24dash
20/07/06
Martin Hilditch, Inside Housing
07/07/06
24dash
22/05/06
Martin Hilditch, Inside Housing
17/02/06
24dash
21/11/05
24dash
07/11/05
Mario Ambrosi, Inside Housing
13/02/03
|
|
(The Guardian, 1st April 2008) "Gordon Brown suffered one of the
biggest backbench revolts
since becoming prime minister last night as 28 Labour rebels backed an amendment to a housing bill calling for more resources for council house building and repair."
Read the amendments
(Subsidy arrangements: formula and exclusions;
Level playing field on funding;
Consultation principles and
Code of Practice;
Means testing and mixed communities).
See also the transcript of the debate in Parliament;
how MPs voted on
NC1 (fair and balanced ballots) and
NC8 (HRA funding amendment),
Third Reading Briefing
and
campaign report from the Council Housing group of MPs.
Help push the Minister to table amendments in the House of Lords as he promised to provide a new code of practice on fair debates and democratic ballots;
and also to agree principles for ring fencing income and a level playing field for council housing to provide the 'Fourth Option' ahead of the
review
of the HRA subsidy system.
|
What does it mean - what next?
Getting 52 MPs to sponsor our four amendments and taking approx 75% of the four and a half hours debate
for discussion around HRA subsidy and a code of practice for ballots (NC1 and NC8) shows that the campaign is making an impact.
But the crucial problem is that only 30 Labour MPs were prepared to oppose the government in the vote so our amendments
were easily defeated.
Housing Minister Iain Wright did promise that he would bring forward government amendments
in the Lords to address demands for a clear Code of Practice for ballots and to ensure that tenants are not just on transfer but also a major
change in the management of our homes. Prior to the debate he agreed to look at requiring councils to keep to a pre-determined ballot timetable, provide resources
for both sides of the debate, ensure equal access to facilities and information and look at extending the 28 timetable for appealing against a
ballot result.
The government's argued it would be premature to agree major changes on housing finance in advance
of its HRA review.
Leaving aside what the outcome of the review might be (and whether the government in
power implements the recommendations) this leaves many councils facing serious financial pressures and uncertainty in the medium term.
The campaign will continue to step up the pressure to win an early settlement that secures the future for first class council housing.
|
The House of Commons Council Housing group of MPs organised an inquiry event at Parliament on 22 January 2008 to collect evidence to support
amendments to the government's Housing and Regeneration Bill. Tenants, trade unionists, councillors and council officers
took part, More than 30 areas were represented with 20 giving oral evidence to MPs.
|
Oral and written evidence has provided more depth reinforces the case for councils improving their existing homes and estates,
starting a new council house building programme and ensuring that all homes are maintained as first class council housing
in years to come.
Read draft
transcript
and main points of evidence (draft).
The submissions also included objections to government means testing council housing and the demand that any consultation
with tenants has to be based on a fair and balanced debate and conducted according to strict democratic procedures.
|
The following areas were represented: Birmingham, Bolsover, Cambridge, Camden, Cannock Chase, Chesterfield, Crawley, Dagenham, Gravesham,
Hackney, Harlow, Haringey, Islington, Lambeth, Leeds, Lincoln, Manchester, Milton Keynes, NW Leicestershire, Salisbury, Sedgefield, Sheffield,
Southampton, Southwark, St Albans, Stroud, Sunderland, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, Waverley, Winchester with national unions UNISON and Unite and think tank APSE.
|
Dear Supporter,
|
(2 December 2007)
|
Government has introduced a new Housing and Regeneration Bill. This provides an opportunity to secure changes to the local authority housing finance regime to enable councils to improve all existing, build new and maintain all council housing as first class housing for years to come.
|
It also provides opportunities for those opposed to a first class council (public) housing sector who seek to means test 'low cost rented housing', give predatory landlords opportunities to buy council estates, transfer key decisions from Ministers to new quangos and break up the national HRA - without putting in place guarantees for all councils
(see Council Housing Group DCH 'Second Reading' Briefing).
|
Your support is needed to make sure we get the right result!
|
The House of Commons Council Housing group is holding a new inquiry to collect evidence to support amendments to the Bill. The group asks organisations to send in written evidence and apply for a timeslot on January 22 to provide oral evidence and answer questions.
|
We also want tenants, trade unionists and councillors to lobby their constituency MPs on the day and show government Ministers the breadth and depth of support for investment in council housing.
Email your MP now and ask him/her
to sign the new Early Day Motion 368
Investment in Council Housing.
|
The new Defend Council Housing
newspaper advertises the event, describes key parts of the Bill and the changes we plan to introduce as amendments.
|
Time is obviously short. Government wants to rush this Bill through early in the new year. Please make plans before Christmas to provide evidence and bring a delegation down to Parliament on January 22.
Contact tenants organisations, trade unions and your local council and ask them to 'empower' tenants by sponsoring a broad based delegation to take part
(use this letter to supporters
and model motion).
|
Alan Walter chair, Defend Council Housing
|
Austin Mitchell chair, House of Commons Council Housing group
|
What the Bill includes...
|
Opens door to means testing
|
Discriminate against councils building new homes while offering public money to profit-making companies with little protection for either tenants or taxpayers
|
Transfer key responsibilities from elected Ministers and government departments to an unaccountable regulator
|
Give the regulator powers to determine criteria for allocating accommodation, terms of tenancies and levels of rent
|
Break up the national Housing Revenue Account without long-term guarantees for funding council housing
|
Enable predatory landlords (similar to 'Tenants Choice' under HATs in 1988) to 'persuade' tenants to ballot to transfer their homes and estates.
|
Get your MP to back these changes
|
Means-testing, profit and deregulation
Prevent stigmatisation and maintain universal access by removing the means test eligibility element to 'low cost rented housing'.
Delete clauses which exempt profit-making companies from the various regulatory protections for tenants and taxpayers.
Keep key political decisions such as allocating accommodation, terms of tenancies and levels of rent with elected politicians.
Require that tenants receive financial support for genuinely independent tenants organisation for the purposes of holding their landlord to account, and improving their housing services, conditions and amenities (section 86(4)).
|
Funding Existing Council Housing
Require that local authorities retain all rental income and capital receipts from council housing to be specifically used to manage, maintain, improve existing or build new council homes. Any surplus to be pooled centrally to be redistributed to authorities bidding for extra funding.
Require the Secretary of State to fund local authority housing Management & Maintenance Allowances at 100% of need (as defined by the Building Research Establishment, Estimation of the need to spend on maintenance and management in the Local Authority housing stock, June 2003).
Require the Treasury to take over historic debt where tenants have expressed a clear choice to remain with the council to provide a 'level playing field' with debt write-off when homes are privatised by stock transfer.
Require that councils considering opting out of the national HRA are able to demonstrate that their HRA balance sheet is positive over the 30 years business plan.
|
Building New Council Housing
Prevent discrimination against local authorities by ensuring that receipt of Social Housing Grant is not conditional on setting up arms-length companies.
Ensure that all new homes - including those built by ALMOs and SPVs - give tenants 'secure' tenancies.
|
Homes & Communities Agency
Require that full consultation takes place with tenants when allocating Decent Homes funding and that tenants' choice to remain with the council is respected and retaining authorities are not discriminated against financially.
|
Democracy: A Fair and balanced debate
Require that the principles of a fair and balanced debate as defined by the House of Commons Council Housing Group are applied when landlords consult their tenants. This should include resources to ensure that both sides of the argument are clearly put with a ballot of every tenant at the end of the consultation run to a pre-defined timescale with clear start and end dates.
|
Produce evidence to submit to the inquiry...
|
The MPs are calling on supporters of council housing to submit formal written evidence and to apply to provide oral evidence and answer questions at Parliament on January 22. Encourage your council to use its
expertise to help provide evidence and ask them to fund a delegation to attend the event. All councils say they want to 'empower' tenants - here's a real opportunity!. Issues to address include:
|
Changes to the present HRA subsidy system (locally and nationally) to enable authorities to improve existing, build new and maintain all council housing as first class housing for years to come
|
Financial modelling by local authorities showing the benefit/loss to their HRA from breaking up the national HRA on financially neutral terms; retaining all rental income and capital receipts; debt write-off on equal terms available on transfer; increasing M&M to 100% of need
|
Means-testing and its effect on sustainable communities - particularly welcome will be statistical information from local authorities on historic and current demographic analysis of council tenants and those on waiting list, the effect on allocations policy from reduction in supply, and estimates of what level of new council housing provision would make communities mixed and sustainable again.
|
Proposed 'Tenants Choice' ballots
|
OFTENANT and its possible application to council housing (consultation, tenant empowerment, policy-making such as rent levels, and accountability).
|
Providing Social Housing grant) to profit-making landlords and local reaction to withholding SHG from councils retaining the direct management of their homes; the effect this is likely to have on security, affordability and value for money for the taxpayer.
|
Actual affordability of 'affordable' housing (including rented and shared ownership schemes) available locally showing who has access and who is excluded
|
Demand for council housing locally
|
DCH has rushed out a briefing - including areas for MPs to table amendments to the Bill. We understand the Committee considering the bill
will take evidence before Christmas and the bill will then be debated again in January.
Help us break through the soundbites and remind those who mouthed 'warm words' for council housing over the summer of the commitment they made to provide the 'Fourth Option'
for council housing. Contact your MP and ask him/her to read this briefing, sign the new Early Day Motion and speak in the debate supporting
our arguments.
|
If your council has retained its homes, has an ALMO or has yet to consult tenants on the future of council housing find
out what the latest position is and give tenants support to join this campaign.
|
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