Issue - meetings

Councillor Kober, Leader of the Council, invited Paul Burnham to put forward 

is representations in relation to item 10, Housing Review.

Deputation 1 – Paul Burham

Mr Burnham began his deputation by asking Cabinet to not agree the recommendations of the report and consider its long term ramifications on the availability of Council housing and secure tenancies.  He felt the findings of the review would lead to new estates being transferred to private companies by  stealth and demolition with tenants placed on private rented tenancies. Private landlords would have financial rather than social interests as their main aim and this would also had a detrimental impact on equalities.

The deputation disputed the findings of the tenant consultation and contested how it had been conducted and framed. They contended that the consultation was not adequate with any choices between the housing management options put forward to tenants.

The deputation continued to make the following requests:

• That Cabinet close down the ALMO to prevent future privatisation of this housing management service and to consider alternative options.
• Consider the future financial housing situation which indicates that there will be a lack of funding for maintaining and investing in estates.
• Lobby government to reverse the Right to Buy policy as this will have a detrimental impact on the future social housing available for residents.

• Consider the political climate and contribute towards a movement against the Conservative Housing polices coming forward.

• Ballot Council and Homes for Haringey tenants on the retention of the ALMO.

The Leader of the Council further asked the deputation party about what their solution would be to the Government’s new enforced regulation that will require all local authorities’ to sell high value home assets. This would have a significant impact on the future availability of affordable housing in the borough. All London councils were working together to find solutions to mitigate against  future decreased availability of social housing.

The deputation party responded by condemning this Conservative policy but contended that there were still choices for the Council to make and this should not include demolishing homes and replacing them with private rented homes.

Councillor Strickland was invited by the Leader to respond to the issues raised by the deputation.

Cllr Strickland began by emphasising the long examination given to the future of housing management, investment and regeneration in the borough, culminating in the findings and recommendations of the Member Housing Review Steering group. The process had begun 9 months ago with a cross party steering group including a tenant representative considering tried and tested models for housing management. They had also visited a range of Councils around the country to discuss these models and  get first hand experience of them.

In terms of new regeneration estate housing ownership, the Council had continued to be explicit in not yet having a view on this. This was still subject to financial considerations and tenants views .The recent Love  Lane estate transfer of tenants was referred to as a positive experience for the residents  ...  view the full minutes text for item 67