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The London
Tenants Federation (LTF) is an umbrella organisation bringing together
London's borough wide council tenant federations and organisations.
It does not aim to supersede any of its member organisations, but
instead, to strengthen them through: sharing and exchanging information,
making collective London wide responses to consultation and at times
campaigning together. It aims to provide a strong voice for London's
council tenants. The London Tenants Federation (LTF) has representation
on the Mayors Housing Forum and one of its delegates chairs the
Forum's Community Engagement Sub Group.
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RECENT
ISSUES, CONSULTATIONS AND OPEN MEETINGS
NATIONAL
TENANTS VOICE Martin
Cave's 'Every Tenant Matters: A
Review of Social Housing Regulation',
commissioned
by government and published in June '07 proposed the establishment
of a regulator for social rented housing and also a 'National
Tenants Voice' (NTV). Proposals
were taken further in the Government's 'Tenants Empowerment' consultation
paper published in summer 2007. Following consultation, a 'project
group' including officers of: the government department Communities
and Local Government, TPAS, the Housing Corporation,the Chartered
Institute of Housing, the Audit Commission, the National Housing
Federation, the Local Government Association, the National Community
Forum along with members of TAROE (Tenants and Residents Organisation
of England), The National Federation of TMOs, the Confederation
of Co-Operative Housing and representatives of two of England's
six regional tenants organisations have been involved in further
discussions on the NTV. They set out a formal consultation paper
in July '08.
The
Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) was commissioned by the
government to facilitate a number of workshops on issues relating
to the HRA and to advise the Review as it proceeds. Amongst the
60 or more invited members of the workshops, only three were tenants.
Reports have since been produced from the four workshops - (links
below). The CIH also held three events in Leeds, Bristol and Birmingham,
but with limited tenant attendance.
The London Tenants
Federation and others have been critical of the failure to positively
engage tenants in the HRA review, particularly since rents and
funding for management, maintenance and repairs to tenants homes
are bread and butter issues for many council tenant representatives.
In an attempt to ensure that representatives of London's borough
wide council tenants federations and organisations are heard,
officers of the CIH and the LGA were invited to the LTF July meeting.
The Local
Government Association (LGA) published its 'My
Rent went to Whitehall' position paper, setting out its position
around the HRA.
LTF briefing on the
HRA Review and notes from the LTF July meeting below.
- LTF
Briefing on the HRA Review
- Notes
on discussion held on the HRA review at the LTF meeting 29.07.08
The HRA Review has
given a new lease of life to the Moonlight
Robbery campaign, (formally supported by the LTF) which
highlights the fact that across the country tenants will pay
£1.7 billion more in rent this year than councils are
allowed to use for managing, maintaining and for major repairs
of tenants' homes. Since this government has been in power the
'robbery' has amounted to around £17 billion. The Moonlight
Robbery campaign also highlights the fact that government, knowingly
underestimates the level of need for management and maintenance
(M&M) and major repair (MR) allowances, resulting in an
annual £2.35 billion shortfall in allowances (nationally).
The campaign calls for rents to be used exclusively for M&M
and MR allowances, which would cover 72% of the current shortfall.
It also calls for past 'robbery' to be used to make up the remaining
shortfall. The campaign is to set out its proposals showing
tenants and their councils how much they would benefit financially
from their proposals. Keep an eye on their website!
Months after the commencement
of the review and seemingly under pressure about the failure to
engage tenants, the Government has finally written to local authorities
suggesting they carry out some consultation on the review with
tenants. Unfortunately this does not amount to much more than
tenant focus groups and encouragement of tenants to complete a
rather loaded questionnaire. However it does provide the facility
for formal tenants organisations to add their contributions. The
LTF would encourage all borough wide council tenant organisations
in London to contribute a written submission - by mid October.
Government has also written to regional tenants organisations
proposing a meeting with them in November.
The LTF suggests that
individual tenants or tenant organisations who are considering
completing the questionnaire or submitting comment to government,
gather as much information as they can on the HRA and the review
before they do so - including reading the LTF's briefing, notes
from its July meeting, its submission on the HRA Review Team and
and checking out the Moonlight Robbery website.
- LTF
submission on the HRA Review Team
- Government
HRA Review questionnaire
- HRA Review team email
address - for submissions of comments / evidence -
hrareview@communities.gsi.gov
PLANNING
FOR A BETTER LONDON London's Mayor, Boris Johnson
is to review the London Plan; London's statutory planning document,
which impacts on the development plans of all London boroughs.
The review was recommended at the Examination in Public of the
Further Alterations to the London Plan - held at City Hall in
summer 2007 and is to be complete by 2012.
A consultation document
called 'Planning for a better London' (deadline for responses
is November this year) was published in July. Links to the full
document and to a short LTF briefing below. The LTF will discuss
the consultation document and put together a response to the
consultation at its meeting in October.
- Planning
for a better London
- LTF
briefing on 'Planning for a better London'
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The
LTF welcomes comment and contributions from tenants, but we cannot
respond to individual complaints or concerns about issues in individual
boroughs.
We
are not an advice agency and cannot assist directly with tenancy
issues for tenants of any tenure. For advice on any legal issue
please contact your local law centre or Citizens Advice Bureau.
Please also visit our links page for links to advice guides and
Community Legal Services Direct.
Address
- London Tenants Federation, C/o Camden Federation of Tenants and
Residents Association, 11-17 The Marr, Camden Street, London NW1
OHE. Tel 020 7874 5464
E-mail
info@londontenants.org
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