Cash delay means 60 per cent of homes in affected boroughs will be non-decent by 2013
Capital fears decent homes backlash
Share
A paper, by London Councils’ Decent Homes Group, said that heads of housing in some boroughs fear angry residents could vote for ‘non-mainstream’ political parties in spring’s local and general elections in protest.
The unpublished research, seen by Inside Housing, said the average rate of non-decent homes across the six boroughs covered by the ALMOs would rise from 40 per cent in 2008/9 to 60 per cent in 2013/14 without decent homes funding from the government.
Just 10 per cent of stock would not be decent if the ALMOs received the funding from 2008 to 2015.
Havering has the highest proportion of residents voting for non-mainstream parties in London and is working with Sutton, Bexley and Barking and Dagenham councils to look at how to tackle voters’ concerns. Chief housing officers at Havering and Sutton both expressed concern that the decent homes delay would be used as a campaigning tool by non-mainstream parties, the report said.
The estimated costs of possible litigation and complaints from unhappy tenants, additional repairs, and enquiries from councillors for the seven ALMOs will rocket by £62 million by 2015 if they do
London Councils recommended that in the short-term, £21 million could be found in 2009/10 and £92.5 million in 2010/11 from funds held by the affected London boroughs, underspends in decent homes by other ALMOs and unspent funds from the government’s mortgage rescue scheme.
Several boroughs feared delays in decent homes funding could lead to them being ‘red flagged’ by the Audit Commission, it added. They are also worried they could face financial penalties and lose discounts from the contractors signed up to deliver the decent homes work.
Around 80,000 households in London are likely to be affected.
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment
Readers' comments (4)
ILAG | 15/01/2010 1:33 am
Of course the three mainstream political parties are doing such a great job representing public opinion on such topical issues as immigration and the now completely discredited myth of anthropogenic global warming that it is amazing how anyone would even consider voting for a "non-mainstream" party...
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Steve | 15/01/2010 10:18 am
So the solution must be to vote BNP or You kip (they kip, we all kip etc). I think that Labour is dealing with and Tories would 'deal' with immigration, even if not to the satisfaction of the Daily Mail and its ilk.
Discredited myth of global warming? It's actually climate change, as not everywhere will necessarily warm once polar icecap/s melt and cool the seas and diminish the gulfstream. One slightly dodgy stat in a million proves the Daily Mail and Jeremy Clarkson must be right, eh?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Melvin Bone | 15/01/2010 11:24 am
‘non-mainstream’ political parties? How stupidly 'PC' is that!
I assume the BNP would be one...they can be named!
I'll not comment on here regarding climate change...on another forum maybe.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Alex | 18/01/2010 12:17 pm
People should also try to improve their life. There isn't much point in not working or try to improve there life and just expecting the taxpayer to pay. I believe its just ALMOs trying to get money out of central government as voting for BNP on itself is not going to improve their life. People from East Europe came and found jobs and pay their rent to private sector (which is higher) but our people weren't able to, it is sad.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment