Wednesday 24 June 2009

Support the campaign against privatisation of Ashmole Estate

Please support the campaign against privatisation of Ashmole estate.

DCH debates Metroplitan Housing Association, Ashmole Tenants Hall , Meadow Road

Meet Fentiman Arms Thursday 6pm June 25th for canvassing.

Residents meeting at 7pm.

Join the No to Transfer campaign – Canvassing and Postering Dates
Saturday June 27th meet 4pm Fentiman Arms
Sunday June 28th meet 4pm Fentiman Arms
Monday June 29th - first day of ballot - 6.30 pm Fentiman Arms
Tuesday June 30th 6.30 pm Fentiman Arms
- further dates will be announced as necessary.

Transfer is privatisation
Metropolitan Housing Association ‘says it’s not for profit’ but it borrows from banks and buys and sells homes on the private market, using tenant’s homes as security for borrowing. It’s very risky for tenants to become subject to the ups and downs of the private market and the instability of the banks.

Less security
Metropolitan say they will guarantee tenants the same rights that we get under a council ‘secure ‘tenancy. But these promises don’t have the same force in law as the statutory rights we have as council tenants. And though the current management of Metropolitan may say they are committed to tenant's security, what if they merge with another housing association and the new management takes a different view? ‘Transfer landlords‘ are much more likely to merge into even bigger businesses as that’s how the banks prefer them to be.

Even higher rents and charges
Housing Association rents and charges are higher than council rents. Metropolitan say that tenant's rents will be the same as the council charges, and the government has been trying to ‘converge ‘ council and housing association rents together, but their plans are in disarray – ‘convergence’ has been moved from 2012 to 2024 !!

COME TO THE PUBLIC MEETING TO FIND OUT MORE, ASK QUESTIONS AND http://www.support4councilhousing.org.uk/OIN THE LAMBETH DEFEND COUNCIL HOUSING CAMPAIGN: VOTE NO TO TRANSFER, IT’S NOT WORTH THE RISK !

Contact Lambeth Defend Council Housing dchlambeth@gmail.com 07834828292 www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk