BREXIT SPATS... AND A LOVE-IN

Grenfell

fires new concerns for tenants

It seems like magic… suddenly, tenants are loved by everyone . 

The politicians who today seem to be fighting  to the death over Brexit cannot do enough to give  a voice  to tenants.

From Theresa May in Downing Street down to the local councillor 300 miles away here in Carlisle, plans are afoot for more democracy in social housing.

What has prompted this sudden interest? Many people suggest that it follows the  Grenfell tower fire fifteen months  ago and the appalling long-term neglect of its tenants.That neglect sparked national concern about the serious state of social housing.

After Grenfell, nothing stayed the same.

In Carlisle there is a similar “Grenfell” story. Hundreds of tenants have been denied a voice for 14 years, since the day Riverside Housing Association of Liverpool took over the city`s 6,000 council houses and then promptly abolished all the council-supported tenant groups.

These groups had thrived while the council owned the houses.But when  democracy was abolished on the estates, landlord Riverside  had a free rein.  

City councillors have long  been concerned about that free rein in the way Riverside operates and about its failure to give tenants a voice in the running of the city`s homes.

The  councillors have  spent several months working out a new agreement with Riverside. One of the council`s. primary concerns was that tenants are included in that agreement.

It is not clear how the agreement will work  but the tenants are hopeful that after 14 years of “silence” there will now be a Carlisle tenants` voice.

A NATIONAL TENANTS` VOICE

Something much bigger- a National Tenants` Voice- is being sought in a government initiative.

A steering group A Voice for Tenants has launched a survey seeking views from residents on whether they think their voice is being heard by the government as it plans its response to the recent green paper.

The paper suggests establishing a National Tenant Voice and the steering group is keen to hear views from tenants on whether this should happen. It will then feed back responses to the government consultation.

A FAIR PRESS FOR TENANTS` GUIDE

A group of 14  housing associations and their tenants have got together to challenge  what is commonly said about social housing residents through a campaign called Benefit to Society.

As part of this, the campaign has produced a Fair Press for Tenants` Guide to help journalists portray social tenants and social housing fairly.

AN END TO “NO FAULT” EVICTIONS

The Labour Party says it is ready to tackle what it calls “the biggest cause of homelessness” by scrapping Section 21 of the 1998 Housing Act  which allows private landlords to evict tenants without reason.

John Healey... "biggest cause of homelessness"

Before the act came into force, it was more difficult for landlords to evict people who paid rent on time.

The policy was announced by shadow housing minister John Healey at the party’s conference in Liverpool this week along with plans for a £20m fund to set up “renters unions” to support tenants in disputes with landlords.

Section 21 is thought to be the biggest cause of homelessness and so-called “no-fault” evictions – when landlords throw people out of their home without saying why – have been growing in recent years.

 
Research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation  found 80% of private-sector evictions in 2015  fell into this category.

Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation publishes this blog. Information about the Federation is available on 01228 522277 or 01228 532803