Housing chiefs want tenants’ feedback Evening Times 31/1/07

HOUSING bosses are asking tenants to share their views to help the service run smoothly.
East Renfrewshire Council wants feedback on repairs, estate management and homelessness from every tenant - not just those of tenant associations.
And to make it easier the council has organised a special phone number and e-mail address.
Councillor Alan Lafferty said: "We want the housing service to be open and responsive to meet the needs of local people, so
we're asking tenants to share their views with the service on a range of issues throughout the year."
Tenants can take part by calling Sandra Scott on 0141 577 3715 or by e-mailing sandra.scott@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
10:31am today

Cornwall fails to consult tenants on takeover plan

By Martin Hilditch
Published: 26 January 2007 Inside Housing
Tenants of a flagship arm’s-length management organisation are taking legal advice after its future was thrown into doubt by a ‘hostile takeover’ bid for its parent council.
Carrick District Council would be scrapped under a proposal by Cornwall County Council to become a unitary authority.
The move has created major uncertainty for Carrick Housing, one of only three ALMOs involved in a high-profile government pilot examining the feasibility of breaking away from the complex housing finance system.
With just over a month to go until Carrick Council is due to report back to the Treasury, the bid is making it difficult to work out what effect coming out of the finance system would have on the ALMO.
The pilot’s findings are meant to help the Treasury decide whether ‘opting out’ would be a viable option for similarly sized organisations.
Carrick Housing tenants said they were furious that they had not been consulted about the potential impact of the move by the county council.
Grenville Chappel, chair of the Carrick District Forum of Tenants, said Cornwall County Council had failed to appreciate the implications for the future of the ALMO.
In a letter circulated to those district councillors who also sit on the county council, he said: ‘We are extremely
concerned that proposals have been developed and are planned to be submitted to the government that would bring about specific changes for council tenants without the tenants themselves actually being consulted.’
The takeover proposal was prompted by guidance from the Communities and Local Government department which said county councils should draw up plans to ensure districts worked more closely together.
Marianne Hood, a consultant hired by Carrick tenants, said that there could be problems in other areas where district councils had retained ownership of stock.
‘The whole thrust of the local government white paper is about empowering local communities. Unless
[the CLG] sorts this out it completely contradicts it,’ she said.
‘Unfortunately in the CLG paper there was no reminder that if there were district councils with retained stock then tenants should be consulted before decisions [to become unitary authorities] were formed.’
A spokesperson for the CLG confirmed stock-owning councils would have to talk to tenants before changes to management could proceed. ‘Tenants should be fully consulted about changes to the management of their homes as set out in section 105 of the Housing Act 1985,’ he said.


Housing Stock Transfer News Monday, January 15th, 2007

COUNCILLORS IN CRAWLEY have voted to cancel a stock transfer ballot after opinion surveys showed overwhelming opposition among tenants.of a Conservative councillor to the Liberal Democrats over the issue. The ballot had been due in the Spring.
Posted in Stock transfer | Comment here »
Taunton ‘no’, Sheffield estates ‘yes’
Thursday, December 21st, 2006
TENANTS IN TAUNTON have voted overwhelmingly against stock transfer. In a ballot result announced by Taunton Deane Borough Council this week, 69% of tenants voted against a switch to Deane Housing and 31% in favour on a 69% turnout.
However, tenants of five estates in Sheffield have voted in favour of transferring their 3,000 homes to Pennine Housing, Acis Group and Manchester Methodist Housing Association. The votes in favour of transfer in the three ballots ranged from 73% to 88%.


Proof – GHA Ltd OVERCHARGING RIGHT TO BUY HOME ‘OWNERS’

Glasgow Housing Association Ltd is overcharging home owners. 13,387 homes under GHA Ltd management have had cladding work done.Home owners are currently being charged VAT at 17.5% on top of the price for the job when they should be getting charged VAT at 5% for such work.
The Rendering and Cladding Association say that reduced VAT applies to what they call ‘retro jobs’ this is confirmed by the Governments own Revenue and Customs say that this is the case and further corroboration should it be needed comes from a Government Notice dated August 2006 which would have been sent to many bodies including the GHA Ltd.
NB……i.e. a reduced rate of VAT to 5% for the supply and installation of energy

If this is accurate GHA Ltd could possibly have overcharged owners, a collective total of, as much as £10 million mmmmm.

Is journalism dead or can you check his out for youself?

DTI - Wallis to Williams

This general principle is correct, as it leads to different charges in different locations, ... It should remove VAT on retro-fit energy saving measures. ...
www.dti.gov.uk/energy/review/consultation-submissions/april/individuals-and


File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
a reduced rate of VAT to 5% for the supply and installation of energy ... Insulated Render & Cladding Association Ltd. Dr Lynn Jones MP. Kent Energy Centre ...
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/C00/44/houseeneffic_sumresp03.pdf - Similar pages
[PDF]
H.M. TREASURY AND DEFRA CONSULTATION: “ECONOMIC INSTRUMENTS TO ...

File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
a reduced rate of VAT to 5% for the supply and installation of energy ... Insulated Render &
Cladding Association. Lighting Association ...
www.ukace.org/pubs/consult/Treasury%20&%20Defra%20Economic%20Instruments%20to%
20Improve%20Household%2... - Similar pages


GHA LAUNCHES NEXT STAGE OF CONSULTATION ON RENT STRUCTURE REVIEW

Every GHA tenant in Glasgow will get the chance to have their say on the principles of a new and fairer rent structure for the association.
The three-month citywide consultation exercise follows three separate independent reports to:
· Compare GHA rents with those of other social landlords in the city
· Assess affordability
· Seek tenants' views about rent structures. Speaking at the launch, GHA's Director of Housing Services, Mary Crearie, said: "The current rent structure has not been reviewed for around 25 years and recent research (see Notes to Editors) shows that it does not reflect current quality, amenity or value." "The purpose of this exercise is to produce a fairer and more transparent rent structure for GHA stock. It does not aim to increase rents overall but to produce a more equitable distribution of rents across the stock.

"GHA stands by its promise, made at stock transfer, that the annual rent increase for all sitting tenants will not exceed the rate of inflation until March 2008 and will not increase by more than inflation plus one per cent at least until March 2011. "We are also sticking to another promise made at the same time that we would review the rent structure we inherited from Glasgow City Council and introduce a fairer rent structure for new tenants by 2008."

The consultation document indicates the general principles that should apply to GHA's new rent structure. These are:
· Consistency and fairness - ensuring that tenants living in similar properties and receiving similar services should pay similar rent and that rent levels should reflect the type, quality and amenity of the house and services provided
· Transparency and acceptability - the basis for rent setting should be easily explained and acceptable to stakeholders
· Straightforward and practical - able to reflect changes in stock and housing market conditions and policy priorities. In order to ascertain the views of tenants across the city on the principles of the new rent structure, GHA will send out a questionnaire to all tenants, hold a series of local events and consult with the GHA Tenants Panel. Other groups being invited to take part in the consultation include Local Housing Organisations, Registered Tenants Organisations, GHA staff and voluntary groups and organisations such as Age Concern, Shelter and CAB. Those taking part in the consultation will be asked a range of questions, including whether the age, size, type, location, condition and number of rooms in a property should be taken into account when setting rent levels.

The GHA Board will discuss the results of this consultation later this year and any final proposals for a new rent structure will be subject to further consultation with tenants and other stakeholders before being introduced. ends

Notes to Editor

More than 3,000 people took part in the earlier independent research which helped formulate the principles for the new rent structure.
Rental Comparability Study
The Rental Comparability Study involved a survey of all Registered Social Landords (housing associations) and in-depth research in 12 case study landlords, as well as interviews with staff and tenants. It concluded that GHA's current rent structure lacks coherency and fairness and is not transparent to staff or tenants. The study found that:
· At April 2005, the average basic rent for GHA stock was £54 per week compared with £45 for other Registered Social Landlords
· Rents for flats are generally lower than rents for houses, but GHA multi-storey rents are higher than average
· GHA rents are competitive with the cost of purchase for first-time buyers
· GHA rents are substantially lower than the costs of renting in the private rented sector, where the average is around £93 per week
Affordability Study
The Affordability Study analysed data on tenants' income and circumstances using information from the GHA Tenant Satisfaction Survey, the Scottish Household Survey and the 2001 Census and Scottish Continuous Recording (SCORE) data collected by GHA from new tenants. It concluded that GHA rents are at the margins of affordability - particularly for larger properties. It found that: · Only 15% of GHA households contain someone in work
· A quarter of GHA tenants do not receive Housing Benefit
· The average income for a GHA tenant is £154 per week

Tenants' Views
This study aimed to assess tenants' views of GHA rents and possible rent structures. This study was based on a face to face survey with a sample of over 2,600 tenants and six focus groups with LHO committee members and members of registered tenants groups. It found that:
· Half of all tenants think that the GHA full monthly rent is good value for money and a quarter (23%) think it is poor value for money
· Just under half (44%) of tenants think that GHA rents are affordable to those in work while 27% think they are not affordable
· Tenants thought that condition of the property, area, size and property type were the most important factors to be taken into account when setting rents
· Tenants felt that multi-storeys should have the lowest rents and semi-detached houses the highest.
'Towards Fairer Rents - Key findings from the GHA studies of Affordability, Comparability and Tenants' Views on Rents' is available here.
For further information contact:
Lynne McEwan
Media and Public Relations Manager
Glasgow Housing Association
Tel. 0141 274 6725
email: lynne.mcewan@gha.org.uk


GHA STARTS £83 MILLION OF OVER CLADDING WORKS

Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) is about to embark on its next major stage of home improvement works to deliver warm, dry homes to thousands of tenants – overcladding multi storey flats at a cost of £83 million.GHA’s first overcladding of a multi-storey block is about to take place at Curle Street in Yoker and is expected to take around eight months to complete.

Overcladding not only improves the appearance of the building but also provides extra insulation, which in turn helps cut residents’ heating bills.

The over cladding programme will target a total of 55 high rise blocks and 41 mini-multis (eight storey buildings) across the city within the next four years.
The high-rise blocks benefiting from the programme include 18 in the south of the city, (covering Gorbals, Pollokshaws, Mosspark and Cardonald), 12 in the north and east (covering Sandyhills and Springburn) and 25 in the west (covering Townhead and Knightswood). A further 30 mini-multis are being targeted in the south (covering Craigden, Cardonald, Hillpark and Pollokshields) and 11 in the west (covering Knightswood and Balmore)

The work in Yoker is costing around £1.3 million. Preparation work at the multi-storey block there, which houses 120 properties started in July 2006 and mast climbers have now been erected. The actual overcladding work begins in mid October and is expected to be complete in April next year. In addition, the installation of new double-glazed windows and a new roof is underway at the moment. Residents will also benefit from new roof safety lighting and perimeter lighting, the renewal of entrance canopies and the provision of replacement communal television aerial system. Further site starts are imminent as part of the overcladding programme and will continue in the Sandyhills area, which is costing GHA around £3.8 million. Mast climbers will be erected there from 11th September onwards with the actual over cladding work expected to begin a few weeks later.

GHA’s Director of Investment and Regeneration, David Hastings said: “GHA made a promise to tenants at the time of stock transfer that we would provide warm, dry homes and the major overcladding work now getting underway will ensure that’s what they get. “This major programme of works is costing GHA £83 million and will dramatically change the face of many high rise blocks and mini-multis in the city over the next four years.

“This level of investment demonstrates to tenants living in those properties that GHA does invest in multi-storey blocks and we believe many do have a long-term future.”

Beth Willis-New is the tenant Chairperson of Whiteinch & Scotstoun Housing Association Local Housing Organisation (LHO). She explained: "We have been working at Whiteinch LHO for some time now to bring the GHA investment programme to the area for the benefit of local tenants and we are pleased that not only have some works already been done or are now underway, but more are being planned and worked up.

“Included in this is the project at 64 Curle Street which should see a variety of benefits for residents of the block. Tenants have complained in the past about the inadequacy of the steel-framed and single-glazed windows, which led to heating and condensation problems. So not only is this being remedied with the installation of new double-glazed windows but the overcladding system will also improve thermal insulation, making flats easier and cheaper to heat. “We also believe that the whole look of the property will be greatly enhanced and, to top it all off, we are currently discussing a lighting project for the top of the building to create an attractive impression during the hours of darkness!"

ends
NOTES TO EDITORS:

CONTACT:
Jaelithe Leigh-Brown
Press Officer
Glasgow Housing Association
Tel. 0141 274 5708
email: jaelithe.leigh-brown@gha.org.uk



COUNCIL EXTENDS HOME BUYING CURBS

A local authority has been given the go-ahead to extend the suspension of the right-to-buy policy in its area. In May, Fife Council suspended the right of tenants in St Andrews and East Neuk to buy their council homes. Now the Scottish Executive has agreed to "pressurised area status" covering 13 places in west Fife. The aim is to protect housing stock and it is believed to be first time a Scottish council has made a second bid to suspend the right-to-buy. Tenants in Aberdour, Charlestown, Crossford, Culross, Dalgety Bay, Halbeath, Kingseat, Limekilns, North Queensferry, Rosyth, Saline, Torryburn and Townhill will have their right to buy their council properties suspended for the next five years.

Fife Council is the first authority to make a second application to suspend the right to buy - this time in the west of its area
Des McNulty
Deputy Communities Minister
However, this applies only to tenancies which began after 30 September, 2002.
Fife Council said about 237 tenants would be affected by the suspension, which was announced by Deputy Communities Minister Des McNulty.
He said: "Fife Council is the first authority to make a second application to suspend the right to buy - this time in the west of its area.
"Once again, it has presented a convincing case, and has provided compelling evidence of substantial pressures on affordable housing in the designated areas."
Affordable homes
Councillor Alex Sawers, Fife Council's housing spokesman, said the announcement was good news for the area.
He said: "We're trying everything we can to make more affordable properties available for those most in need.
"This year alone over £21m is being spent on creating more affordable homes for people.
"Keeping valuable council housing stock is also a step in the right direction as well as releasing council land for affordable housing means that we are making some inroads to tackling this issue."
Five councils in Scotland have successfully applied for the right to buy to be suspended, while an application by a sixth authority, Perth and Kinross Council, is being considered.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/6262937.stm

Published: 2007/01/15 12:47:54 GMT

© BBC MMVII


HOUSING TRANSFERS - WHAT A SORRY MESS

Press release
Scottish Tenants organisation In Edinburgh, Stirling, Renfrewshire and the Highlands Tenants have said NO to it That’s why we say with our new campaign
Scotland for Council Housing
On 15th February 2007 the Scottish Tenants Organisation will be meeting with invited MSPs at the Scottish Parliament to breath new life into the case for a sustainable Public Housing policy. It is clear that the current form of ‘regeneration’ ‘aint workin’. We would be interested in asking Ms R. Brankin the latest Communities minister if she will honour Malcolm Chisholm’s promise that that The Scottish Executive will support Councils where stock transfer has been rejected

“We look forward to taking up with her the points we raise in our new campaign .” [see below}

Now that the dust has settled on Mlcolm Chisholm’s departure we at the STO must look forward in the hope of achieving the degree of dialogue with new Communities Minister That has so far eluded us. Before we say our final adieu to Mr Chisholm it should be acknowledged that his departure had little to do with “his principled stance on nuclear weapons” the ostensible reason for his departure from the Communities portfolio being that he did not vote with Jack McConnell on the issue.

The principle over loyalty reason does not stand up to historical scrutiny; It is widely believed that the real unpublished reason for Malcolm Chisholm’s feigned glorious exit was a smokescreen to mask the fact that he was sacrificed due to the very public contradictory utterances from the Chair of the Glasgow Housing Association Ltd and himself over an asserted short fall in the funds of GHA Ltd and a failure to keep Michael Lennon CEO of the massive housing body to his job description. These two key names aboard the Scottish executives ‘flagship’ policy to encourage the pathological pursuit of profit and power for private developers and landlords, getting the tax payer to foot part of the bill and calling it regeneration but it was all in danger of becoming just a bit messy. Malcolm Chisholm and Michaell Lennon had to go overboard.

Despite Ms Brankin’s less than encouraging reception from leading reports in the Glasgow press the STO intends to do what we can to ensure that the new post holder like her predecessors lives in interesting and eventful times until the Scottish election and after. Encouraged by recent ballot success, we look forward to taking up with her the points we raise in our new campaign

Scottish Tenants Organisation campaign entitled ` Scotland for Council Housing`

The first shots in the latest phase of the battle over Council housing were fired at a meeting last December 9th, 2006 in Stirling, held jointly between the Scottish Tenants Organisation and local campaigners from the four Council areas where tenants have recently rejected stock transfer, namely, Edinburgh, Stirling, Renfrewshire and the Highlands.

The meeting launched a campaign entitled ` Scotland for Council Housing` which makes three basic demands on behalf of tenants. The campaign wants Council housing debt written off, direct investment for Council housing, with immediate help for the four no vote areas, and no land sell offs.

S.T.O. Convenor John Carracher stated “ The campaign has initially set it`s sights on politicians in the run up to the Hollyrood E44lections with the view of having housing further up the political agenda. We want first of all to know what financial help will be offered to Councils whose tenants have voted against privatisation and have written to Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm seeking an urgent meeting to put this question on tenants behalf”.

“We also want to know why housing debt write off is only on offer to Councils which give away their housing to a private landlord”

John said further “ The campaign will put politicians on the spot over the lack of a coherent housing strategy in Scotland given all the problems with rising numbers of homelessness, escalating housing costs and the great land give away”. “ The notion of `affordability` also needs to be defined”. “The campaign will be seeking support from tenants, Trade Unions, Councils, Political Parties and others to bring about genuine change in housing policy”

Release Ends

Editors Notes

1 Before he left as Comunities Minister, Malcolm Chisholm has stated that The Scottish Executive will support Councils where stock transfer has been rejected. Clarification is needed on what that support entails and we will be seeking a meeting with Rhona Brankin about this.

2 Housing Associations are classified by the Scottish Parliament as private landlords
( Scottish Parliament Information Centre briefing 04/70 ) They are classified similarly by the UK Treasury.

3 The government claims that the transfer of council housing to the private sector is necessary to reduce public borrowing. But as the recent Audit Scotland report `Council housing transfers` points out, debt repayment ( debt write off ) is not a cost to government-“there is no net effect ( cost or benefit) for the Exchequer or the taxpayer when the Treasury provides grant aid to allow repayment of a council`s PWLB loan debt. These are transfers within government” Debt write off can be applied to Councils, provided that time- limited constraints are added to prevent further borrowing immediately afterwards. Therefore the “official” reason for stock transfer does not apply.

4 The Scottish Tenants Organisation ( STO) is the national independent tenants`representative body. It is composed of tenants and residents associations and individual tenants, and any tenant living in Scotland can join. It was formed at the end of the First World War, out of the tenants struggles during the Glasgow Rent Strikes.

For further information about STO and/or its policies contact:

John Carracher, Convenor - 01698-281488
Jenni Marrow, Secretary - 0131-476-2359
Iain Mac Innes, Vice-Chair – 07976 718 111


GLASGOW SAVE OUR HOMES CAMPAIGN SECOND STAGE TRANSFER AND THE FREE MARKET A SHORT BRIEFING PAPER

Second Stage Transfer (SST*) has been trumpeted as Community Ownership which would be the means to deliver decent social housing in Glasgow. In addition we are in formed that all Glasgow Tenants want SST to deliver us from the evils of the Glasgow Housing association Ltd (GHA Ltd). It is utter humbug. Second Stage Transfer (SST) is NOT Community Ownership as any Local Housing Organisations that would take over ownership of housing stock have Codes of Conduct that Tenant Members of their Board have to sign which prevents them from talking to any other tenants about the business of the new landlord: so much for Community Ownership. In addition with Local Housing Organisations(LHOs**) taking over stock there would be amalgamations, mergers and outright takeovers by predatory Housing Associations such as Sanctuary, Homes or Places for People. These three English based Housing Associations have 129,000 properties between them charging market rents south of the border.

Second Stage Transfer would be nothing more than generating a Free Market in Social Housing which would result in accelerating Demolitions with land sell offs for Private Housing developments as the Private Banking Consortium of HBOS,RBS and Nationwide would be at the heart of driving this process forward. Secondly at the current time GHA Ltd is carrying out a Rent Restructuring Review stating that it favours differentiating rents. This process would be accelerated with the further break-up of Housing Stock with differentiating Market Rents being charged to the detriment of tenants. This is especially the case with new labour’s plans to replace Housing benefit with a Local Housing Allowance.

GHA Ltd recently carried out a survey of tenants and only 5% understood what SST* was. In addition Penilee LHO** carried out a Private Survey of its 2,000 Tenants which revealed that the majority of tenants did NOT support SST. Real Community Ownership requires that GHA ltd Housing is brought back under the ownership of Glasgow City Council with Tenants being offered the opportunity to take over the Management of Housing stock in their local area through the form of Tenant management Cooperatives (TMCs)where tenants are in genuine control and are protected from predatory Free Market Forces with the protective umbrella of Glasgow City Council.

The Glasgow Save Our Homes campaign and Glasgow Residents Network will oppose SST in 2007 and we look forward to support from the Scottish Tenants Organisation (STO) in line with its principled policy of opposing Stock Transfer. It is vital that any Conference on Scottish Housing must support genuine Community ownership through housing being returned to Glasgow City Council and oppose SST at all times. ~ Tel: 07976718111 ~


100 RESIDENTS TOLD TO RIP OUT PORCHES OR FACE COURT

FURIOUS residents are vowing to defy demands for them to tear down additions to their homes.
More than 100 owners and tenants at flats in Bernard Street in Bridgeton have created porches on the common landing outside their homes.Where the landing only provides access to their property, people have installed windows and doors, effectively extending their homes.

According to residents and the local councillor the porches or "decks" provide extra security and keep homes warm in winter.

But Glasgow Housing Association says the structures are a fire hazard which will hold up its £3million investment plan and must be knocked down - or residents could face legal action.

However, more than 100 locals are challenging the order.

Angry residents recently held a protest meeting which was also attended by the police and fire services. GHA representatives were invited but did not attend, claiming they did not receive enough notice.

Pensioners John and Marie Henderson have lived in their home since it was built in 1976.

John, 65, created his deck more than 20 years ago and has since spent hundreds of pounds on new UPVC windows.

The retired whisky bond worker, who bought the house in 1992, said: "Having a second door is an extra layer of security. It also keeps the house warm."

He added: "My deck was here way before GHA arrived on the scene.

"The tone of the letter it sent was threatening and it didn't enter into any consultation. If GHA thinks we're all just going to knock down part of our homes, it has another thing coming."

Strathclyde Police has backed the residents. A force spokeswoman said: "From our point of view these structures provide extra security to homes."

But Glasgow Housing Association insisted the porches or decks must come down and refused to rule out legal action.

A spokeswoman said: "Consultants found a number of unauthorised structures erected in the shared entrances, which will prevent us from carrying out major investment works effectively.

"They advised that the structures erected by some residents are a fire hazard and will reduce any survival chances.

"Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service has also advised GHA that these unauthorised structures may constitute a fire hazard."

She added: "We want to resolve this issue as soon as possible but if there is no agreement we cannot rule out legal action."

Bridgeton and Dalmarnock Councillor George Redmond vowed to stand by the residents.

He said: "The situation is a shambles. The letter sent by GHA is nothing more than a scare tactic. It doesn't have respect for the residents."

A Strathclyde Fire and Rescue spokesman said: "Although the porches may not represent a fire risk, they do represent an additional barrier for firefighters gaining access to flats."

Evening Times 8:58am Monday 15th January 2007



Scottish Monitoring Group on Housing and Homelessness ... Watching the Executives

Scottish tenants demand inquiry into GHA

Following the resignation of Michael Lennon, chief executive of Glasgow housing association (GHA), the Scottish Tenants Organisation is seeking an independent inquiry into the setting up and management of GHA.
John Carracher, convenor of the Scottish Tenants Organisation, said: “From the very beginning, the transfer of Glasgow’s council housing stock and the subsequent re-structuring has been farce. Before the transfer ballot tenants were not given clear, understandable information, or sufficient time to understand the implications of such a huge and complicated transfer.

“Tenants were selected to sit on forums to decide the future of Glasgow’s public housing, and were confronted with complicated plans and financial projections. Tenants complained that they couldn’t understand the business plan for the proposed housing association. The pressure to ‘deliver a Yes vote’ was THE most important driver of the process, not whether tenants fully understood the consequences of their vote.” Property People

Within recent weeks it has been revealed that financial calculations for the costs of secondary stock transfer to smaller housing associations had not been included in the original business plan. When interviewed on BBC TV, Malcolm Chisholm, Minister for Communities, was unable to comment on the outcome of a demand for an additional £500 million for secondary transfer. He was also unwilling to comment on Michael Lennon’s 23 per cent salary increase award. Recently, two surveys have been carried out, one by GHA and one by Penilee LHO. The GHA survey showed that only five per cent of tenants understood the issue of secondary transfer; the Penilee survey showed that the majority of tenants didn`t see the need for secondary transfer, since they are already getting their improvements done.

Carracher said: “This transfer was flawed from the very beginning. It has become a costly gigantic game of monopoly, with handouts from the Scottish Executive. This transfer was never about tenants - the people who the Scottish Executive claim are ‘at the heart of the process’. It was always about privatisation, and multi-million pound finances, and tenants are being damaged in the process. The Scottish Tenants Organisation will be writing to Mr. Chisholm to ask for a halt to all further plans, developments and demolitions until an independent inquiry has been held. We will also be contacting all MSPs to ask for their support for this.” 18.12.06 Property People

MICHAEL LENNON TO STEP DOWN FROM GHA IN NEW YEAR

Michael Lennon, Chief Executive of Glasgow Housing Association will be leaving GHA on January 31, 2007, after almost four years in post.The Board agreed with Michael that this is a logical point for him to stand down. He expressed a wish to move on once the GHA had achieved a number of milestones. His efforts and contribution have been hugely valued but his desire to leave, to return to Australia with his family, forced GHA to take stock and consider whether this might be an appropriate time for change in leadership.

GHA Tenant Chair, Sandra Forsythe, said: "The Board and the tenants of GHA are well aware of the massive contribution Michael has made to GHA and to social housing in Glasgow. Michael has been an outstanding Chief Executive and the Board will miss his huge commitment to GHA's work on delivering for tenants."

Michael said: "It has been a privilege to work with GHA and its partners, especially its board, staff and tenants who have been supported me over the past few years. I am delighted that the GHA team has achieved such huge results since stock transfer in March 2003 and I wish the association, and the LHO network, every success in the future."

GHA is at the end of the first main phase of the GHA project and is ahead of target on promises made to the tenants of Glasgow when they voted for stock transfer. Its core investment programme is running ahead of schedule and by year end it will have invested almost £450m in tenants' properties. Early in 07, it will disaggregate its central services and back room functions by moving over 200 staff out to front-line services within the LHO network.

Therefore, the Board has accepted that it is both an appropriate time and in the best interests of both parties for Michael's contract to end now. In reaching the decision, the Board was mindful that once a senior member of staff indicates that he or she wants to leave, it can be difficult for that person to sustain momentum.

The Board now has the opportunity to consider the kind of leader GHA needs from here on. Plans to recruit a new Chief Executive are underway and an interim Acting Chief Executive will be appointed early in 2007.

Donna Stevenson, Director of Strategic Services, who was due to step down in March, will extend her contract to oversee the next crucial period of the Community Ownership Intentions process.

www.gha.org.uk

Watchdog raises questions over �442m efficiency savings - The Herald

Watchdog raises questions over �442m efficiency savings - The Herald

Glasgow Residents Network Social

Residents Network Social - drinks, socialising, and a chance to meet other
residents groups from across the city Saturday 16th, December... Glasgow Residents Network Social - Come Along After Your Christmas Shopping...[BYOB] - 5:45 pm onwards, the Quakers Friends Meeting House, Elmbank Crescent. Come along and meet others involved in the residents movement! Anyone who can bake cakes or bring along sandwiches would be graciously received...
--
www.glasgowresidents.wordpress.com
Glasgow's Residents Movement

Compromise over home seizures

Ministers last night offered a compromise over a new law which could lead to people losing their homes for debts of just £3000 but failed to silence all their critics. The Scottish Executive relented in the face of fierce opposition from homelessness charities, legal experts, citizens advice bureaux, and back-bench MSPs. However, their plan was criticised for not going far enough. Under the Bankruptcy and Diligence Etc (Scotland) Bill, which is due to complete its final parliamentary stage today, creditors will be able to use "land attachment" orders against people with more than £3000 of unsecured debt, such as credit cards or catalogue debts. If, after six months, the debt is not repaid, the debtor's home and land can be sold. Although ministers say there are more than 20 hurdles to clear before a sheriff allows a house sale, critics fear thousands of families will be made homeless. They claim the mere threat of losing their home will panic people into borrowing yet more money – possibly from loan sharks – or result in them neglecting mortgage payments, risking repossession by the bank. Citizens Advice Scotland calls land attachments the "nuclear option" for debt recovery. In light of the attacks, Deputy Enterprise Minister Allan Wilson last night tabled an amendment to the bill giving ministers the power to exempt homes from land attachments if, at some unspecified date, they feel they have worsened homelessness. The amendment would also allow ministers to give sheriffs more discretion in considering whether house sales should go ahead. Mr Wilson told TheHerald: "I don't think it's a climb-down, I think it's a reasonable solution. I have added to this bill by giving ministers the power to deal with unintended consequences." However, Gavin Corbett from Shelter Scotland, the housing and homelessness charity, urged MSPs to ensure that homes were exempt from land attachments from the outset, rather than wait for the system to go wrong. He said: "Recovering debt through these means is heavy-handed and excessively harsh. We could see homeowners with a debt of as little as £3001 losing their home to repay creditors. If we have a chance to avoid laws that could make people homeless, then we should do so." Mike Dailly, the secretary of the Scottish Association of Law Centres, said in its original form the land attachment provision was "the most regressive piece of legislation ever introduced into the Scottish Parliament". Even in its amended form it would cause problems, he warned. "How will ministers know if this causes homelessness? What will happen is people will neglect their secured debts to get the land attachment off their back, and end up in court having their house repossessed. "There's no way to track those figures, so ministers will never know the impact of this law. If they don't exempt homes, they should at least give courts the power to consider people's personal circumstances when considering a warrant sale, as happens in England." The bill has also stirred trouble within Labour's own ranks, with Gordon Jackson, the MSP for Glasgow Govan, asking for a full, and possibly embarrassing, review of the system within 15 months of it passing into law. This would force the executive to reveal the number of people made homeless as a result of the system and the debts recovered. Alex Neil, the SNP MSP, who has tabled an amendment which would immediately exempt homes from land attachments, said the minister's deal was unacceptable. Citizens Advice Scotland said debtors would still be intimidated by land attachments under the amendment, and urged MSPs to exclude homes from the system.
Herald November 30 2006

Funding Decent Council Housing

New DCH Motion in Parliament - ask your MP to sign
Funding Decent Council Housing

Austin Mitchell MP has tabled a new motion (EDM 136 Funding Decent Council Housing) following the Queens Speech. Ask MP(s) to sign to demonstrate their support for the ‘Fourth Option’ for council housing, a ‘level playing field’ and real choice for council tenants (email your MP).

149 MPs backed motion EDM 48 in the last Parliament. Ask all tenants and trade union organisations to write to local MPs urging them to sign up. Tell your MPs to lobby the Treasury for the ‘Fourth Option’ to be included in the Comprehensive Spending Review next spring and ask them to join the House of Commons Council Housing group.

Majority of tenants’ ballots voting NO
The majority of ballots in 2006 have gone against privatisation including 4/4 ballots in Scotland. Tenants, trade unionists and councillors opposing privatisation are still massively out resourced by one-sided council campaigns but we have showed we can stop them when we organise effectively. If a council is pushing transfer, ALMO or PFI in your region please help campaign against (see list) in forthcoming ballots to finally kill privatisation off.

Meeting at DCLG
On Tuesday (Nov 21) Austin Mitchell led a delegation to meet DCLG officials to examine the financial issues. This meeting was promised a year ago by David Miliband and Yvette Cooper. They were unable to defend Ruth Kelly’s dramatic assertion at the Labour Party conference that the ‘Fourth Option’ would cost £12billion and we are now demanding a detailed costing of how much it would cost to meet Decent Homes for all council housing.

Debt write off
The No votes in Scotland very starkly put the focus on a ‘level playing field’ on debt write off. If the Treasury will write off council housing debt on privatisation why won’t they write off (or take over) council debt when tenants choose to keep the council as their landlord? Put this question to all politicians – including those who are considering standing for Leadership and Deputy Leadership of the party in government.

Affiliate, order material and donate
Encourage tenants organisations and trade unions to distribute copies of the DCH national newspaper and the ‘Case for Council Housing in 21C Britain’ pamphlet. Make sure your organisation is affiliated and agree a generous donation to enable DCH to campaign locally and nationally.

Please forward this email to tenants, trade unionists, councillors and others…

Further information on the campaign website.

Highlands Against Stock Transfer A VICTORY FOR COMMON SENSE STOCK TRANSFER A DISCREDITED POLICY

Press release 22-11-2006 Naturally we are delighted but not at all surprised at this result. With a total budget of under £900, we were unable to match the huge sales campaign mounted by the Highland Council, the Scottish Executive and the Housing Association which was funded by vast sums of public money and utilising considerable numbers of housing staff along with Public Relations companies.”But by getting our message across in a simple but effective manner and telling the truth about Housing Stock Transfer, we have exposed the false promises of the stock transfer policy.
This vote is yet another nail in the coffin of housing privatisation and a vindication of those who chose to stand up to it against overwhelming odds.

We congratulate Highland Tenants for having the courage to vote NO to this stock transfer scam, that we as tenants did not ask for, did not want, and in the end totally rejected.

We now urge our fellow tenants to lobby their local politicians to fight for adequate funding for Local Authority housing, and for the Housing Debt to be written off without the need for transfer of stock.

We call upon the Highland Council to join with the majority of Scotland's Councils, tenants, and trade unions and demand that our public housing is properly financed.
We say 'Drop the Debt' and let us enter an age of well-maintained low-cost housing for rent.

HAST also calls for the immediate resignation of the Housing Committee Chairperson,
Cllr. Margaret Davidson and of the Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm MSP.

Mr Chisholms linking of funding for so called "Affordable Housing" to the issue of Housing Stock Transfer was absolutely reprehensible, the lack of affordable housing both to rent and buy is a huge issue in the Highlands and has nothing whatsoever to do with the issue of changing landlord. We now call on the Communities Minister, or hopefully his immediate successor, to make adequate funding available to make a real impact on this crucial issue.

Cllr Margaret Davidson has shown a total unwillingness to listen to the views of her tenants and even at times to common sense. We would also question the wisdom of her taking a paid position as Non Executive Director of Communities Scotland at a time when the same organisation was the main driving force behind the policy of Stock Transfer in the Highlands.

Cllr Davidson should immediately relinquish her position of Chair of Housing and Social Work with Highland Council and her paid position on the Board of Communities Scotland.

“HAST will soon wind up as an organisation and go in to abeyance, but we will be ready to re-form and fight the threat of any further stock transfers if the need arises.”

The Housing issue has now been put back firmly on the political agenda in Scotland.
I call upon my fellow tenants to lobby all political parties to ensure that the spectre of Housing Stock Transfer is dead and buried. To lobby for the write off of housing debt and for adequate funding to be made available for the crucial issue of housing shortage in the Highlands.

As Chairperson of HAST, I would firstly like to thank all of the tenants, from all over the Highlands, who assisted us in getting our message across to our fellow tenants, on the scam that is Housing Stock Transfer.

I would also like to thank the members of the following trade unions and political parties for their assistance with the campaign:

Unison Highland Branch for allowing HAST to have our say in their newsletter to tenants, the TGWU for their advice and assistance, thanks are also due to various members of the Scottish National Party, Solidarity, and the Scottish Socialist Party who assisted us with leafleting in various areas of the Highlands.

At the end of the day, we gave it our best shot with the resources and people we had available, we fought the good fight, to resist a stock transfer that we as tenants most certainly did not ask for, and we won.

Yours Donnie Kerr, Chairperson Highlands Against Stock Transfer (HAST)

For further information and comment contact:

Donnie Kerr 01463 223578 or email donniekerr@yahoo.com


No Housing Stock Transfer in Inverclyde !

Help the campaign for a NO VOTE We need YOUR help to get our case to as many people as possible. We will be distributing info through people’s letter boxes *this week. If you would like to volunteer *this week* doon the water Phone 07976 718 111 as soon as you can.Hope you can join the campaign. Pass this message on to a friend today!
*THE SCOTTISH TENANTS ORGANISATION*
Call 07976 718 111,(01698) 281 488,
or 0131 476 2359.PEOPLE OF SCOTLAND
Housing Stock Transfers …. the Truth!
They are unfair, unwanted and unnecessary.

Housing stock transfers were introduced by the Thatcher government as a means of getting rid of public sector housing. Up until this time governments in Britain since the nineteen twenties, had assumed a responsibility for public housing and had provided investment to councils to back that responsibility. After 1979 it was all change as far as the Tories were concerned and successive governments have tried to reduce their responsibilities for the provision of public housing. Councils have been deliberately denied access to cash to invest in their housing in an attempt to force them into the private sector. New Labour continues to implement the same privatisation policies.

This tenure change agenda is being pursued despite the governments promise of universal choice and despite the fact that investing in housing and a change of landlord are two quite separate issues.

Tenants are being told that if they wish their homes repaired and upgraded then they must choose a new landlord. However the new landlord is one of the governments choosing and must be a private landlord ie: a Registered Social Landlord.

The Chancellor has said that the Treasury will take on the outstanding housing debt of Councils which transfer their stock ( Debt Write Off ), but refuses to do likewise for Councils which retain theirs.

This is deeply unfair and undemocratic!

The Scottish Tenants Organisation believes that the way to change these unfair policies is to vote against transfer!

Drop The Debt!

The historic housing debt is a burden on all tenants, not just those who transfer out of the public sector. If the Chancellor can find the means to let the Treasury take on the debt of some councils, then why can`t it be done for the rest? Removing the historic debt from Councils would solve most of the housing investment problems in one go and would not cost the country one penny more than at present. It could also happen tomorrow if the Chancellor would act fairly in tenants interests. So do not believe anyone who tells you that there is no alternative.

The Tide is Turning

Change of policy now a possibility

The Labour Party Conference in 2005 overwhelmingly voted to end stock transfers. However, the government chose to ignore the democratic decision of the Conference and continued to promote privatisation. This caused huge unrest within the Party and pressure has been put on the Office of the Deputy prime Minister (ODPM), whose Department has responsibility for housing in England. Opposition from tenants organisations, Trade Unions, campaign groups, MPs as well as many tenants voting NO has caused a rethink at Westminster. The ODPM has set up a working party to examine ways of allowing councils to access the housing investment they need. Campaigners believe that a change of policy is now within reach.

Here in Scotland things are also moving. Tenants in Edinburgh, fed up being treated unfairly, sent shock waves through the government by voting No to the privatisation of their homes. With the help of other tenants facing transfer, we can win! Don’t be fooled by the spin.

Recently our own Finance Minister reminded us that the Treasury has £1.5 Billion of Scotland’s money in reserve, of which he was minded to release £800 Million for various purposes next year. Government has also over the years spent £62 Million promoting stock transfers. Meanwhile public housing is allowed to deteriorate and the lie is perpetuated that there is insufficient funds to repair and maintain our homes.

Stock transfers are the governments agenda, not tenants. Nowhere in Scotland are tenants clamouring for a new landlord. Yet the idea is still being foisted on us against our will. Tenants are being used as pawns in the Scottish Executives social engineering exercise and being handed responsibility without any real power.

DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE

Housing Associations are being created specifically to fulfil the Executives aim of privatisation. The Boards of these purpose built creations are self appointees carrying out the Scottish Executives bidding and do not work in tenants interests.

Slick glossy advertising masquerades as information. But this so called information is a one sided peddling of Executive propaganda designed to brainwash tenants. Do not be fooled by any of it.

The Scottish Tenants Organisation is asking tenants to take a firm stand against the injustice of these privatisation policies by rejecting the lack of real choice, rejecting a move out of the public sector and rejecting the Chancellors strictures on housing debt. When the time comes – Vote No!

STOCK TRANSFERS ARE A LAND GRAB – STOP THEM IN THEIR TRACKS
Housing Stock Transfers …. the Truth!

They are unfair, unwanted and unnecessary.



STOCK TRANSFERS ARE A LAND GRAB – STOP THEM IN THEIR in THEIR TRACK


Tenants 'blackmailed' into housing transfers

Matt Weaver
Friday October 29, 2004

The Guardian

Claims that ministers are trying to blackmail tenants into accepting new
management of council housing are justified, according to a government researcher.

Academic Hal Pawson, who has carried out a series of official studies for the
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, has delivered a scathing attack on the
government's troubled housing policy.

Writing in this year's UK Housing Review he claimed that that it was misleading
of ministers to claim that their policy of switching homes to new landlords
promoted choice in public services.

Mr Pawson, senior research fellow at Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt university, said it
was "hard to contest" campaigners' claims that tenants were being blackmailed
into voting for new management of their homes.

He said: "Ultimately, the 'choice' offered to the vast majority of tenants
consists of no more that an opportunity to endorse or reject a single option,
with rejection potentially incurring a heavy penalty in the form of debarred
access to capital investment. This is, arguably, hardly a choice at all."

The government has a target of ensuring that all council homes are bought up to
a decent standard by 2010. But it insists that the extra resources to achieve
this will only be available to councils that switch their homes to housing
associations, private finance consortia or arm's length management organisations.

Mr Pawson's comments are the latest blow to this policy. In September the Labour
party rejected the policy by backing a resolution calling for direct housing
investment in areas where tenants have voted to retain the council as their
landlord.

Mr Pawson pointed out that the decent homes standard was itself an "unambitious
yardstick", and even if it was achieved it would not represent a
"transformation" of council housing.

He also noted that nearly a fifth of transfer housing associations run into
trouble with the regulator after being set up.

Mr Pawson said that tenants were rarely consulted about council's decisions to
go for housing transfers, and even when they were the tenants involved were not
representative of general tenant opinion.

He wrote: "It is hard to present transfer as genuinely part of the 'customer
choice' agenda. Proposals are hardly ever bottom-up in the sense of being
motivated by tenant preferences."

He accepted that describing housing transfer as 'privatisation' was tenuous. But
he added: "The 'fat cat' image of housing association chief executives and the
perception of bigger pay differentials than are the norm in local authorities
are presented as lending some credence to the 'privatisation' argument.

"Housing association board member payments, as now introduced in England, may
well provide further ammunition for this line of attack."

The review is published jointly by the Chartered Institute of Housing and the
Council for Mortgage Lenders. They pointed out that Mr Pawson was writing in a
personal capacity.

SocietyGuardian.co.uk © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004




Glasgow Residents Network

2nd Conference of the Glasgow Residents Network — Glasgow community action discussion day