Feedback from previous conferences...
Congratulations from Winchester Tenants, the Conference may have been produced on a shoe string,
but it was up there with the best. The information on offer was great the speakers spoke with
passion, and conviction. The workshops provided valuable information and the networking first
class...
Alan Rickman, Beryl White, Janet Berry, Winchester Tenants.
I thoroughly enjoyed today's conference. Well worth the early start and long day.
Jimmy Devlin, chair Merseyside Residents Network
I thought I knew a lot about the politics of Council Housing, but meeting campaigners from all over
the country put the whole thing in perspective and encouraged me to get back to the grindstone....
some very knowledgeable, dedicated and street-wise people made me feel that Indeed We Can Win!
Phil Sedler Tower Hamlets Against Transfer
Five of us from Cambridge found it a useful and instructive day. It's always good to meet tenants
from other areas and exchange views and experiences.
Terry Sweeney
I attended along with eight others from Milton Keynes. It was very good...
At the next public meeting of my RA I shall explain what the DCH is and ask if we can affiliate.
Margaret Burke, Chair, Bradville Residents Association, Milton Keynes
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At this key moment in the run-up to a general election, join councillors, MPs, tenants and
trade unions to make sure our views on council housing are heard loud and clear.
Find out the latest on financial reform proposals and whether they offer a sustainable financial
future for council housing.
Hear views and experience of tenants across Britain, and updates from campaigns to defend our
secure tenancies, and against attacks on council housing.
We also hope to hold an evening Tenants Question Time with all main
parties answering tenants questions on council housing, secure tenancies, fair funding and
robbery.
The
full programme is now available. Download and print it, and use it to book your place at the
conference, and to encourage others from your area to go (or order more free copies from us).
Contributors confirmed so far include:
Professor Peter Ambrose
Weyman Bennett, joint secretary, Unite Against Fascism
Lesley Carty, DCH
Shirley Cupit, Queen Caroline's Estate Tenants Campaign
Megan Dobney, South East Region TUC
Frank Dobson MP
Jack Dromey, deputy general secretary UNITE
Dave Gibson, Moonlight Robbery campaign
John Grayson, housing researcher
Deborah Garvey, SHELTER
Luke Henderson, Edinburgh UNISON
Dr Stuart Hodkinson, University of Leeds
Simon Hughes MP
Dave Kelleway, South Cambridgeshire Against Transfer
Linda McNeil, chair, Leeds Tenants Federation
John Marais, Cambridge Tenants Against Privatisation
Austin Mitchell MP
Paul O’Brien, chief executive, APSE (Association for
Public Service Excellence)
Steve Partridge, Chartered Institute of Housing
Huw Pudner, Neath Port Talbot DCH
Alan Rickman, chair, Winchester TACT
Pat Rowe, Taunton Deane tenants
Eileen Short, chair, Defend Council Housing
Cllr Catherine Smart, executive member for housing, Cambridge City Council
Heather Wakefield, national secretary, UNISON
Cllr Phil Waker, exec member for housing, Barking & Dagenham Council
Scottish Tenants Organisation
National Pensioners Convention
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Workshops
Depending on interest we hope to run as many of the following workshops as possible:
1. Finance reforms – are they good for tenants:
Analysing the risks and benefits from the government’s proposals for the ‘Reform
of Council Housing Finance’ and what we want - with Steve Partridge of the Chartered
Institute of Housing and others.
2. Case against stock transfer:
Dealing with ‘stock options appraisals’, ‘fair and balanced’ debate, the case
against privatisation and the post-transfer experience;
3. Case against PFI:
Workshop with Dr Stuart Hodkinson, author of Regenerating Council Estates Within a Neoliberal
Straitjacket: The Private Finance Initiative in Little London, Leeds and tenant campaigners.
4. The new homes we need:
Workshop on housing need and affordability - why we need new first class, secure,
affordable council housing; with Professor Peter Ambrose, editor of Memorandum
to the Prime Minister on Unaffordable Housing ; and Paul O'Brien of APSE, who have recently produced a report A new generation of
council housing: An analysis of need, opportunity, vision and skills ; and others.
5. Future for ALMOs:
Options for tenants: revert back, stay the same or privatisation via stock transfer or
morphing into public/private partnerships.
6. Defending security of tenure:
Learn about the history of attacks on our security of tenure and the arguments as to why
secure, affordable council housing matters.
7. Independent tenants movement:
History of tenants organisation and organising effectively today, with John Grayson, housing
researcher at Sheffield Hallam University and author of 'Opening the Window: the hidden
history of tenant organisations'.
8. Effective united campaigning:
How to campaign; hear from successful campaigners; the importance of united campaigns,
how we can stop the Nazis undermining tenants’ common interests and exploiting
housing need to spread their politics of hate and division.
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196 council tenants, councillors and trade union delegates from at least 51 local authorities joined housing professionals, academics and MPs
attending the DCH national conference on 25 November 2008, at the University of London Union.
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