With the Bedroom Tax protests at the weekend and publicity over the benefit changes, the press, TV and radio have at last woken up to the issues involved.
On Tuesday April 9th there will be a meeting in Brent to discuss next steps in a local housing campaign. A report of the inaugural meeting follows:
Around
25 people attended the initial Housing Strategy meeting called by Brent
Fightback, on Tuesday 19th March at the Brent Mencap offices in
Willesden.
Attendees included the lead member for Housing for
Brent Council, the Somali Advice Centre, the Counihan Family Housing
campaign, Mencap campaigners, a tenants representative, a housing
worker, and a high school teacher concerned about the cases arising at
her school. Apologies were received from the Brent Law Centre and the
Brent Private Tenants Rights Group and from some who attended the Health
Scrutiny Committee.
It was a constructive and serious meeting,
with information and experiences shared about the current situation and
the general background to housing in Brent. Potential strategies and
targets for campaigning were discussed, including:
GLA powers
to set Rent Caps; advice and signposting training; "Bedroom Tax"
strategies; the Right to Buy discounting; helping residents speak out
and organise; mutual exchanges on properties; resisting evictions;
linking up with other campaigners.
Janice Long, lead member for
Housing has agreed to provide current local information of how changes
are expected to affect people locally.
We agreed a next meeting
time: 7pm, Tuesday 9th April, Brent Mencap offices, 379-381 High Road,
Willesden. We will consider the actions that were suggested at the
intial meeting and any further priorities, and estabish the name and
aims of a local housing campaign.
Please forward widely.
Robin Sivapalan robsivapalan@hotmail.com 07974 331 053
Ken Montague kenmontague@msn.com
