Report: Left Unity Housing Public Meeting

Report from Phil Tsappas

Around 17 people attended a discussion meeting hosted by Haringey Left Unity (LU) branch: Housing for people not profit

The topic was introduced by Felicity Dowling, who is a member of Liverpool LU, and moved the housing motion at the recent LU policy conference on 29th March, 2014.

Jacob spoke about housing from the point of view of a council tenant, whose home may be facing demolition, in Tottenham – he has been active in Haringey Defend Council Housing for about a decade.

Here are some notes taken from the meeting including the discussion

• We have the smallest houses in Europe
• 700,000 empty house could house all the homeless
• London has more billionaires per head of population than anywhere else
• We need housing in the community with good local facilities
• Defend Council Housing campaigned against stock transfer
• Now there is strong pressure from the Government of up to 80% market rents
• Eric Pickles is not for social housing, he supports demolition
• Private tenants had rights (70s), landlords were thuggish. They couldn’t just move you out – now, they can give two months’ notice.

People in the room wanted to see more cooperation between campaigns, it was recognised that the Radical Housing Group have been doing a good job at achieving this. Felicity announced that a housing conference hosted by LU may take place in Liverpool early next year.

And on Thursday 10 July, campigners will gather at City Hall. It’s Time to tell those in power what we think about Boris’ housing strategy. This has been called by Housing group Our West Hendon.