Tenants are calling on MPs, Councillors and Tenant Organisations to support joint campaigning against Government broken promises on secure tenancies, rent levels and housing benefits.
Tenants from across Britain have drawn up common demands for a campaign against Government cuts and attacks on tenancies, rents and benefits. The conference in Leeds demands 'full consultation , including ballots ,with existing and would be tenants and other affected, on any tenancy strategies including proposals to change secure tenancies, rents or housing benefit'. The conference in Leeds last month, with over 40 tenant organisations represented, also united to demand:
-no replacement of secure or assured tenancies with fixed term tenancies
-no increase of up to 80% market rents
-Cut rents not benefits; regulate private rents and landlords
-No eviction of tenants in rent arrears due to Housing Benefit cuts
- MPs, Councillors and Tenant Organisations support tenants in campaigning against these attacks on our security, rents and benefits Council tenants are under direct attack from changes to tenancies, housing benefit and council housing finance. Powers in the Localism Bill to remove secure tenancies will affect existing as well as new tenants.
Tenants are challenging local councils to oppose attacks, and to adopt the Housing Emergency statement (link below). Local campaigning will come together to lobby party conferences and in a national protest at Parliament against the Localism Bill.
David Cameron promised before the election to support social housing, we will protect it and we respect social tenants rights. The Conservatives said they had no policy to change the current or future security of tenants (Inside Housing 30 April 2010). This promise has been broken.
Action - what you can do
- Endorse the Tenants conference demands; get your organisation to support these: http://www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk/dch/resources/HousingEmergencyStatement190511.doc
- Lobby your Council to oppose attacks on tenancies, rents and benefits, using Housing Emergency statement: http://www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk/dch/resources/HousingEmergencyCouncilStatementApr11.pdf
- Oppose stock transfers, demolition and sell offs - contact DCH for help
- Hold public meeting/conference with tenants, unions, councillors and MPs, housing campaigns and charities (contact DCH for speakers)
Lobbies, meetings and protests
Sat 25 June Compass conference http://www.compassonline.org.uk/conference/ 9am Institute of Education 20 Bedford Way London WC1H 0AL - Contact us to help leaflet
Sat 2 July 7pm Housing: from slums to homes for all ... and back again?
meeting with DCH and Leeds Tenants Federation as part of Marxism festival - see http://www.marxismfestival.org.uk/
Join DCH at party conferences
Sun 18 Sept Protest lobby Lib Dem conference Birmingham
Sun 25 Sept Lobby Labour conference Liverpool
Sun 2 Oct Protest lobby Conservative conference Manchester
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