Defend Council Housing (DCH) - campaign against privatisation of council housing

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Is your Council at MIPIM 2015?

On 21-23 October developers gathering in London are meeting investors, councils and politicians to trade in public land, influence and favours. Is your Council paying to take part?
Ged Fitzgerald, chief executive of Liverpool City Council is billed as one of 200 leading UK market experts. Cardiff, Leeds City, Derby, Portsmouth and Southampton, Liverpool, Leicester City, Stoke, Thames Valley, RB Kingston, Croydon, Surrey County and Greater London Assembly (GLA) are among authorities billed to attend. Ask them if they intend to sell off public land which could be used to build council homes?
Meetings include: From social housing to super-prime; How can property investment help the NHS?
And the property sharks aim to step up their political influence, in sessions on London Mayoral Elections and The Downing Street Forum.
MIPIM (Le marché international des professionnels de limmobilier) says it is a gathering of the most influential international property players, looking to close deals in the UK property market. See programme and report from MIPIM 2014.

30 August 2015

No means test - no market rents

Charging market rents for tenant households earning £30,000 a year (£40,000 in London) would penalise tenant family members getting better paid jobs and overtime, and undermine mixed communities.
Trade unions will be a key part of a campaign to prevent means testing by Councils and housing associations. Discuss this motion, contact people affected, and get in touch to help organise this campaign Download more...

National Day of Action 25 July

Homes for all; cut rents not benefits
lively, friendly, noisy PROTEST on Saturday 25 July 12-2pm in front of the Point, Central Milton Keynes
bring banners, placards, whistles,drums called by DCH/DPAC/Unite Community/MK Against the Cuts

Action plan from 13 June summit

The Tenants and Housing summit 13 June agreed the following:
*a housing bloc on the Peoples Assembly march 20 June: assemble 1 Poultry opposite Bank of England 12 noon
*25 July a day of action against benefit cuts and bedroom tax
*a campaign against the extension of Right to Buy financed by open market sale of council homes
* A national March for Housing and Homes in London
* housing campaigns, hustings and lobbying aimed at Scottish, Welsh, London and other local elections 2015

13 June Summit - the day

Tenants and Housing Summit - the Day:
Opening session, with Welsh Tenants Federation, Anti Bedroom Tax campaigners, Private Renters, trade unions, Disabled People Against Cuts and Housing Justice

Followed by workshop sessions on:
1. Organising against Any More Bedroom Tax, sanctions and benefit cuts - with DPAC and Anti Bedroom Tax campaigners - leaflet here 2. Organising to stop evictions - with anti eviction networks and focus E15 (tbc)
3. Organising a new generation for the homes we need - with Generation Rent, Young GMB London, Streets Kitchens and others
4. Organising against estate demolition and loss of homes - with Fred Wigg and John Walsh Towers, Our West Hendon/Sweets Way, Haringey campaign against demolitions, Aylesbury and other estate campaigns
5. Organising to stop the Right to Buy rip off and win a new generation of council housing

With final sessions to agree action plans.

Cambridge meeting 28th April

Cambridge's Housing Crisis meeting with speakers from Generation Rent, Defend COuncil Housing, and Kevin Price Exec Councillor for Housing in Cambridge. Tuesday 28th April, at 7.30, at Ross St Community Centre.

Affiliate and Donate

Unlike local authorities we can't dip into the Housing Revenue Account and use tenants rents to campaign. DCH relies on affiliation fees, donations and sale of publications to get the arguments across. Raise support in your tenants association, union branch, Trades Council and political party. Download more...

More Things You Can Do to Help

Latest From The Press...

04/09/15 Extending the Right to Buy

04/09/15 Pay to stay will makr homrs unaffordable

04/09/15 Rent setting in social housing

28/08/15 East London moves fuel out-of-London placement surge

28/08/15 Vast social cleansing pushes tens of thousands families out of London

27/08/15 Shelter: only the rich can afford 'starter homes'

27/08/15 Right to Buy: housing crisis that Thatcher built

26/08/15 Generation rent v landlords

26/08/15 Starving Council Housing of funds

26/08/15 Rent reduction and RTB will lead to sharp fall in public housebuilding

24/08/15 'Affordable' shared ownership flat for £1 million

22/08/15 Falling over the threshold

19/08/15 Let's freeze Right to Buy, right now

14/08/15 Right to Buy lets; analysis

14/08/15 40% of ex-council flats now rented privately

14/08/15 Why Right to Buy has been a disaster

More Press

Right to Buy2: Stop sell-offs

Councillors, trade unions and MPs including Jeremy Corbyn MP have signed up to resist selling off valuable council homes on the open market, to finance extending housing association right to buy.
New supporters include London Assembly member Darren Johnson, LB Hackney lead councillor for Housing, and Matt Wrack General Secretary Fire Brigades Union. Download, circulate and sign the statement here:

Download for more.

08 Aug 2015

Compensate Councils for rent cut

Government's decision to reduce Council rents by 1% a year for four years has a sting in the tail. Tenants will welcome a cut in our rent, after years of above inflation increases, but this will undermine Council Housing Revenue Accounts (HRAs).
Councils need to challenge the impact of rent cuts and other measures in undermining the self-financing HRAs, demanding compensation for the loss of income.

Download for more.

26 Jul 2015

Who do Council homes belong to?

The extension of Right to Buy (RtB) to Housing Associations, funded by selling off council homes, threatens direct robbery of public assets owned by Councils and tenants.
Government proposals for RtB2 will cut further the council and housing association homes available for rent, and blight plans for new build, as new homes are likely to be the first sold. The Government proposes that discounts for tenants buying housing association homes, will be funded by sale of the most valuable council homes on the open market: two tenanted homes lost with every sale.
The proposal cynically exploit the hopes and fears of tenants, especially those hit by the Bedroom Tax. But it is a disaster for those who need a home, and politically, practically, administratively and probably legally wrong.
Tenants, trade unions and councillors will discuss plans to stop RtB2 at a dedicated session during the Tenants and Housing Summit 13 June Download for more.

02 Jun 2015