"NO JOB: NO HOME IS A NO GO," SAY COUNCIL TENANTS
Ruth Lucas
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Council tenants hit back at Caroline Flint's suggestion that a council home should be dependent upon having a job, when they debated the minister's controversial proposals during the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) conference in Derby.
The Local Government Association's housing policy expert, Ruth Lucas, led a workshop at the ARCH tenants' and residents' conference, held at Pride Park Stadium on 19th March, during which delegates fiercely opposed the housing minister's comments.
Press coverage of comments made by the Flint during her maiden speech as housing minister at a Fabian Society event on 5th February included the BBC headline "Work or lose home says minister' and The Times headline "Council tenants are told to work or lose home'. |
Lucas pointed out that the minister was, in fact, talking of a "voluntary compact' and seeking to open discussion and then asked delegates their views.
"She just added to the stigma faced by council tenants when she said that," was the view of one tenant.
"She should have been made to resign," said another.
"We already have a compact: when we sign on we sign to say we will take a job," was another point raised.
It was also pointed out that once the recession that is being forecast hits, there will be more people unemployed and it would be impracticable to kick everyone who lost their job out of their home: "We are not just talking about that individual losing their home; we are talking about entire families. Where are they meant to go? Why should council tenants be stigmatised? What about private tenants and home-owners to become unemployed as well?"
The council tenants present also highlighted inconsistencies in Government policy. While the Hills report on worklessness suggested that tenants who reach a certain income level should move out of social housing, the minister suggested that no job could mean no home. "This means that the only people eligible for council housing would be those who are working but for a very low wage," was one tenants' ironic remark.
The national unemployment rate is 5.2% and 18% of households live in social housing and 55% of social tenants are unemployed, according to official statistics.
But as one delegate commented, the concentration of people who are not in work is due to the fact that social housing has become a "marginalised option for only the poorest in society", whereas it was the preserve of the majority of, "ordinary working people" before home ownership became the norm.
Lucas concluded that ARCH had been given "a very clear message to take back to ministers", that residents did not support the proposal of linking council tenancies to being in work. |
