[TheLandIsOurs] Condem UK Housing Policy = Social Cleansing

[Ram Selva]

On 2012-09-22 10:37, mark at tlio.org.uk wrote:
> Just came across the following (copied below). New social housing
> tenants are to pay 80% of 'market rates under the new 80% affordable
> housing scheme - which will make rents unaffordable to lower-income
> families. Recall that Policy Exchange, an influential think tank set
> up by Conservative MP Nick Boles (now Planning Minister) - an ally of
> prime minister David Cameron - said in its report 'Ending Expensive
> Social Tenancies' the UK could afford to build 170,000 social homes a
> year by putting the highest-value properties on the market when they
> become vacant.


This is was part of the Localism Act as it was drafted and debated.
FoE was the only group I noticed that tried to do something about 
Localism Act going through parlianment without being challenged but as 
we can all imagine FoE and Soical Housing are miles apart not to say 
they were successful in enacting any change to the Bill as it went 
through the mill.

Mark, as you posted then the Mayor of London being able to overule any 
London Borough Council over this rent manipulation was largely sneaked 
in during the Olympics.

80% of Market rate probably only affects people in inner London most 
adversely but if there are any other instances of social cleansing due 
to this rule I'd like to know more.


> Together with the capping of benefits at £500 a week,
> it is a policy which will have the effect of pushing the lower income
> households out of wealthy areas, which we have known was happening 
> and
> in the pipeline 2 years ago.

All of Localism Act is being piloted in few selected places and party 
political freaks have been set up on the case some time prior to the 
Localism Bill becoming an Act.

I am un/fortunate to observe few pilots closely so if anyone needs 
feedback please contact me directly.

(May I suggest that we discuss this on one particular list than cross 
post to TLIO and D350 ... I prefer D350 as its been full of related 
content. Its also good to see Dave Bangs active on the D350 list)

Ram