Welsh stock transfer facing struggle
A Defend Council Housing campaign is threatening the string of ‘yes’ votes in favour of stock transfer in Wales.
Tenants in Blaenau Gwent were behind the tenth positive result in a ballot for stock transfer in the country over the past two years. This will release the £111 million needed to be spent on homes there to bring them up to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS).
But in 2007 in Swansea, 72.1 per cent of the voting tenants opted to stay with the council against 27.9 per cent. 56.3 per cent of the 13,962 tenants voted. A strong Defend Council Housing campaign was waged in Swansea, and now another is building up in nearby Neath Port Talbot.
A DCH member has sent Inside Housing an email saying: ‘The future of council housing in Neath Port Talbot is shaping up to be one of the most important housing battles to take place in Walesin recent years.’
They write that the ‘no’ campaigners ‘have raised a few hundred pounds from a village fete and some individual donations, not forgetting a raffle’.
‘Despite the difference in resources, the ‘no’ campaign seems to be winning the argument,’ they write.
The council wants to transfer 9,300 homes because it is short of £112 million of the £152 million needed to reach the WHQS. It says that it needs a further £650million to maintain it over the next 30 years. The council plans to hold the ballot in the spring next year.
Elin Jones, housing & regeneration manager for the Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru, said: ‘The achievement of WHQS via a tenant ballot should not be seen as a battle between Defend Council Housing and the council but instead we should all be working together to ensure that tenants have access to clear and factual information to make informed choices once the ballot period starts.
‘i2i (inform to involve), which is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government can work with both parties to ensure that all stakeholders – tenants, staff and councillors – have access to clear and factual information and have opportunities to get as involved as they wish.
‘i2i is neutral on stock transfer, it is the achievement of WHQS and tenants’ rights to decent homes that is the important thing.’
Welsh councils do not get money from the government by setting up an arm’s-length management organisations and many see stock transfer as the only option for reaching the WHQS.
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment
Readers' comments (2)
David | 29/10/2009 9:37 pm
The Neath Port Talbot Council seems rattled by the strength of the Defend Council Housing Campaign in the borough. The campaign has organised around a dozen meetings and has leafletted thousands of council homes and is getting a good response from tenants.
The council avoids using the dreaded word 'PRIVATISATION' and omits telling tenants that many Housing Associations are suffering financially as a consequence of poor management and the financial crisis.
David
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
IFOR | 03/11/2009 4:46 pm
The fight over the future of the NPT council homes is definitely hotting up with the arguments making the local press.
Despite the David and Goliath battle the vote no campaigners seem to be getting a very good hearing from tenants who are suspicious that stock transfer amounts to privatisation.
Ifor
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment