Tenants in Camden , central London , have dealt a major blow to the government's strategy to privatise council housing voting by an overwhelming 77% against the council setting up an ALMO. This result will send shockwaves through the ODPM, policy makers, local authorities and housing professionals and help boost the confidence of tenants and trade unionists across Britain to resist similar blackmail (further details at www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk/
This is the first time an ALMO has been seriously challenged. Camden tenants have rejected ALMO as a two-stage strategy to privatise council housing. Camden DCH is now demanding an urgent meeting with Housing Minister Keith Hill and will be arguing there is no good reason why the £283million earmarked for the ALMO cannot be give to us for council housing direct.
The opposition of council tenants to the 'three card trick' of transfer, PFI or ALMO as the only means of improving our homes is spreading and hardening. Wherever we mount an effective campaign against transfer, spelling out the alternative of the campaign for direct investment, we can defeat transfer, as the most recent No votes in Stockport , Nuneaton , Stroud and Islington show. The overwhelming 77% vote against ALMO in Camden shows we can do the same against ALMO.
The failure of government policy to tackle the growing housing crisis is drawing increasing criticism from amongst MPs, policy makers and academics. Municipal Journal, the local government magazine, calls it 'The rise and fall of Prescott 's housing plan' (MJ 4.12.03).
Up to 200 councils are still defying government and refusing to choose a privatisation option. 130 MPs signed the last EDM resolution supporting tenants' demands for direct investment without strings.
The ODPM is currently conducting its enquiry into Decent Homes - including stock options and 'tenants choice'. DCH and the Parliamentary 'Council Housing' group of MPs both submitted written evidence and DCH and Unison were called to give oral evidence before Christmas (links at www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk/ ). The enquiry also heard criticism of government policy from various policy makers including Roy Irwin, chief inspector of housing at the Audit Commission, who predicts that the government will be forced to offer additional investment options for council housing.
Together the determined alliance of tenants, trade unions and the councillors, MPs and others who support council housing are a formidable force. We now need to pull all the growing opposition together around the demand for a 4th option of direct investment in council housing through an investment allowance.
Get resolutions passed for your union and party conference. Reaffiliate and donate to DCH now. Organise local public meetings to demand direct investment. Give practical help to campaigns against transfer and ALMO in your area.