London renters survey by London Assembly Member Siân Berry

Guest blog post

Take part in my Big Renters Survey

My flat’s toilet is never properly fixed by my landlord and has just broken again. I’ve shelled out more than half my pay in rent and lived in six different houses and flats since I moved to London.

As a private renter, like 2.3 million other Londoners, I know that the insecurity, cost and lack of control over your living arrangements can take its toll.

When I launched my policy to support a London Renters Union during the campaign to be Mayor this year it was by far the most popular idea I have ever put forward.

Now, as a London Assembly Member I’m launching a major project to collect evidence, views and stories from renters on the crisis in London’s private renting market, and how a union could help individuals fight their corner and improve rights for renters across the city.

If you are – or have ever been – a private renter in London, please take three minutes to fill in my Big Renters Survey today.

Tell me about your repair nightmares, how you’ve been treated by landlords and letting agents, and how you think a renters union could help.

Share the survey with your friends and help me get the best evidence and the widest range of views to push the Mayor and the Government for better rights and better support for private renters like me.

START THE BIG RENTERS SURVEY

More of my work on renting in London:

• Success as Mayor agrees to look at real living rents for women and students
• How hard is renting now in your borough?
• Statement on the budget as landlord tax breaks continue
• The London Renters Union: helping 2.3 million Londoners stand together

More housing news from me

Reminders: 'Tyranny of the Clock' talk; and PIP Rotten to the Core demo

Tuesday 12 July and Wednesday 13 July 2016 in London

Tue 12 Jul, 6.30-10pm Tyranny Of The Clock by Brick Lane Debates. What does time mean under late capitalism? Share & discuss at the Hive Dalston, 260-268 Kingsland Road, E8 4DGsuggested donation £5/£3 https://www.facebook.com/events/1347069208643755/

Atos targeting sick and disabled for the DWP

Wed 13 Jul, 10am PIP – Rotten To The Core! Gather at Kennington tube station & march towards Atos, Vauxhall PIP consultation Centre, 65 Sancroft Street SE11 5NG https://www.facebook.com/events/908415682618292/

Poster for London demo against Capita PLC involvement in PIP assessments

Wed 13 Jul, 1.15pm PIP – Rotten To The Core! National Day of Action by Disabled People Against Cuts, Winvisible & Mental Health Resistance Network. At C(r)apita PLC, 71 Victoria Street SW1H OXA  http://dpac.uk.net/2016/06/pip-fightback-national-day-of-action-against-pip-13th-july-pipfightback/ #PIPFightback

KUWG on the march against the Housing & Planning Act 2016

Kim says:

FAST FORWARD TO 3:31: KUWG are doing a rumble!

London Radical Housing Network Meeting, Monday 13 June 7pm at EC1V 8BB

Received by email just now:

Fyi.

From: housing network
Sent: 12 June 2016 23:44
To: rhn-announce@lists.riseup.net
Subject: [rhn-announce] RHN meeting tomorrow (13 June)‏‏

Hi All,

Just a reminder about the meeting tomorrow (Monday 13 June) - it's at 7pm at Unite, 33-37 Moreland St EC1V 8BB.

Agenda below.

Hopefully see you there!

Bill

RHN meeting agenda

 Monday 13 June, 7pm at Unite, Moreland St

1. Introductions
2. Updates from groups (and chance for new groups to introduce themselves) and requests for support.
3. Report back from European Coalition meeting in Madrid
4. Report back RHN Research
5. UCL Rent Strike + 18th June demo https://www.facebook.com/events/1753960451490823/) 
6. Housing Act–  what was passed, impact in coming months and response (Inc actions+ 18th June demo) (https://www.facebook.com/events/983139975074374/)
7. Blue plaque campaign
8. RHN Strategy meeting 
9. Finance update (Inc. RHN coordinator fundraising). 
10. Conferences- Spark, Land Reform
11. Date & venue of next meeting
12. AOB

-- 

Radical Housing Network

Bringing London housing activists together for effective action for housing justice

radicalhousingnetwork.org

radicalhousingnetwork@gmail.com

FB: radicalhousingnetwork

TW: @radicalhousing

Workfare slaves in London childcare and seniors facilities?

By Dude Swheatie of Kwug

Eight years ago I had been volunteering part-time for some months at an Age Concern day centre near King's Cross, offering very basic computing skills training — trying to become more 'employable' and earn my passport away from Jobseekers Allowance (Jsa). That was arranged with me as a genuine volunteer through a mental health charity and there was not much take up of my services as there were so many other activities going on there that the members enjoyed. I eventually gave up that volunteering after the computing facilities had been put into a more wheelchair accessible part of the building yet was dominated by the Bingo activity to the point that I was instructed to shut up rather than give instruction and support to my learner, and the newly promoted manager said that he wanted a specialist class there with a Bengali language trainer who was already lined up.

Toward the end of my time there, when the early-retired manager was still working there, I had been welcomed at a 'thank you' event for Age Concern Camden staff and volunteers at City Hall presided over by Esther Rantzen (one of ACC's two presidents). The annual reports had also thanked and acknowledged the contribution made to ACC by volunteers. Yet in the same week that I resigned from that volunteering placement, the same Esther Rantzen was a panel member on BBC Question Time slagging off unemployed disabled benefit claimants whom she clearly assumed were sitting at home skiving! The occasion for her comments was a discussion about Labour's 2008 Welfare Reform Green Paper, 'No-one written off', that eventually helped lever in a much harsher regime for disabled and unemployed benefit claimants. My decades of actively seeking waged work had come to nothing in terms of waged work and constant debt, so I eventually resolved to apply for the disability benefit Employment & Support Allowance on advice from jobcentre staff.

Today in 2016 life is much harder not just for Jsa claimants, but also for children and people in care homes. Not only is government trampling over the vulnerability of benefit claimants, but it is also forcing Jsa claimants in Scotland to work unpaid in childcare and care home facilities, Scottish Unemployed Workers Group report.(1)

I wonder how bad things have got in London now in these regards? Brief witness statements regarding that matter can be received as anonymous blog comments here.

Link

https://scottishunemployedworkers.net

New paid work opportunity using social media to promote socio-economic justice

"Taxpayers Against Poverty (TAP) is seeking a talented Campaign Organiser with digital campaigning expertise.


"It is a fixed term position of 12 months, working for 20 hours per week at up to £32,000 pa pro rata. However the role has potential to be extended dependent on the progress made by the post holder on crowd funding and other fundraising aspects of the job.The role is virtual office based, but regular attendance for meetings and activities in London will be required...."

The closing date for applications is 12 Noon on Monday 11 July. For further details, go to
http://www.taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk

Impact of Osborne's 'market rents for social housing tenants on salaries over £40K'

By Dude Swheatie of Kwug

Beware of Osborne's 'end game'

This is the lead story in this week's Camden New Journal

http://www.camdennewjournal.com/marketrents

More than 2,000 council tenants in Camden face market rents as government classes them 'high earners'

A leading paragraph transferable to other boroughs is this one:

"In his budget announcements yesterday (Wednesday), Chancellor George Osborne said local authorities would be told to demand the extra rent from tenants earning more than £40,000 a year. Officials at the Town Hall were last night working out how they would set about investigating their tenants’ finances and the cost of such a task."

And a complementary online interactive source regarding what a person's income needs to be in order to be able to afford to pay commercial rents in London can be found at

http://www.londonrents.org.uk/

A publication by Darren Johnson, Green Party Member of the London Assembly.

Can your job pay the rent?

According to the Mayor's standard definition, your rent is affordable if it doesn't take up more than 35% of your take-home pay. For example, the average household in London earns an estimated £2,608 per month after tax, so an affordable rent for them would be anything up to £913pcm.

Most people, of course, just stretch to pay London's high rents. This means we can't save up for a deposit, spend money with local businesses, or even afford a basic quality of life. Amazingly, a young person working full time on the minimum wage doesn't earn enough for an affordable room in the average shared flat in any borough of London.

What can you afford?

You can use this map to pick the type of home you want and your income, and then find boroughs in London where average rents are affordable (less than 35% of take-home pay), slightly unaffordable (35-50% of take-home pay), extremely unaffordable (more than 50% of take-home pay) or completely impossible (rents cost more than you earn).

Maybe Osborne's directive regarding social housing tenants on salaries greater than £40K will act as an incentive for social housing tenants on over £40K salaries to collude with 'right-to-buy' that is heavily tax-payer-subsidised? As I said in one of my placard-based statements, BEWARE OF OSBORNE'S 'END GAME'.

Steps toward affordable homes

By Dude Swheatie of Kwug

Dame Tessa [Jowell] said: “If you have a six-month lease in very poor accommodation, it doesn’t feel like home. It just feels like somewhere you can afford to live for a period of time.”
....
The former Olympics minister added that there was “a growing sense that London was a city for the very poor and the ultra rich” and that she was tired of investors buying up homes like “gold bars”.
The idea of rent caps has been floated within Camden’s Labour Party for several months. Last year, council leader Sarah Hayward wrote a newspaper article on the difficulty facing those searching for an affordable home.

— Camden New Journal: Tessa Jowell warns Labour colleagues to think twice about calling for rent cap

It might just as easily be said that the UK is a nation populated by the very rich and very poor and that human traffickers overseas are like dope peddlers when they sell dreams of peace and prosperity to those desperate to flee war situations.

But what would be your 'steps toward making homes more affordable'?

Leave comments on a blogspot blog post

https://support.google.com/blogger/answer/42399?hl=en

Latest homelessness stats underline a growing problem

From Z2K — Justice for vulnerable debtors

The final set of official homelessness statistics under this Government were snuck out amidst a flurry of pre-election announcements by the Department for Communities & Local Government last week. In combination with the equally worrying statistics on rough sleeping published a week earlier, they paint a disturbing picture of a growing problem, not just in London, but in other parts of the country as well.

Continue reading....

Unite Community London & Eastern Region Updates

From Robin and Pilgrim at Unite the Union Community Section, London & Eastern Region

(Currently, Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group members are entitled to a year's free subscription to Unite the Union Community Section)

Dear Unite Community members,

Please read these three important updates and see what you’re able to get involved with. Travel and childcare costs can be covered for members wanting to attend actions, meetings and trainings.

Support Our West Hendon

Can you support people on the West Hendon estate who are going to court to have their homes repossessed?

The Our West Hendon campaign desperately need volunteers at the moment to door knock at the flats where residents have been called to court for repossession order hearings. 

We also need a list of volunteers that are willing to come and support residents at court - Willesden County Court, 9 Acton Lane NW10 8SB. The cases are over a period from 17th to 25th of November at various times morning and afternoon.  We will be in touch with exact times for the dates you are available - we especially would like people who have knowledge of housing rights/law on these days but can provide everyone with a briefing.

If you are willing to help you can get in touch with  janette876@hotmail.co.uk or 07913999255 or  Paulette pauletteasinger@me.com

Protest Friday: 10am@ IDS; 12pm @IPCC

1. IDS Out!

10am, Friday 14th November, Chingford Assembly Hall, Station Rd, Chingford, E4 7EN

Iain Duncan Smith, the detested Tory Work and Pensions Secretary will be hosting a jobs fair at his constituency in Chingford from 9am. People from all walks of life are planning to pay him a visit to show him our opposition to everything he stands for. With ATOS tests, Universal Credit, Sanctions Targets, Workfare, Ian Duncan Smith is intent on destroying social security, driving misery, poverty and exploitation.

2. Support the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign.

12pm-2pm, Friday 14th November, IPCC Offices, 90 High Holborn, WC1V

The demo is to demand that the Police Complaints Commission act after it has dragged its feet for two years in its 'scoping exercise' to investigate the truth on what happened on the picket lines at Orgreave when the police attacked the picket lines and nearly 100 striking miners were arrested.

Community Organising Workshops

Saturday 6^th – Sunday 9^th December

Organising Our Communities

All Unite Community members and contacts are invited to attend four days of Community Organising Workshops in London.

Our members draw upon a wide range of life-experiences, traditions, skills, passions, talents and beliefs and these workshops showcase what we’re all about. They provide a space to develop practical community organising skills, be creative, generate ideas, network and plan effective action.

This is a draft agenda, and we will confirm venues and workshops times as soon as possible. Please put the dates in your diary. We will send out registration details next week.

Having the argument: Economics	Having the argument: Welfare	Theatre of the Oppressed	Music of Resistance
Fight Back, Feel Better Student Workers	Solidarity Against Sanctions Housing Justice	Mindfulness & Sustainability Consensus Co-Creation	Screen Printing / Leaflet Design
NVDA /Eviction Resistance Action Casework Right to Protest	Housing Rights training	Listening/Organising on the Doorstep & Street	Mapping our Community & Identifying campaigns
Public Speaking Journalism/Short films Social Media	Welfare Rights training	Finances Administration Membership	Communication Welfare Equalities

In solidarity,

Robin Sivapalan                                                 Pilgrim Tucker

07860 955 361                                                            07970 126 249

robin.sivapalan@unitetheunion.org                                                  pilgrim.tucker@unitetheunion.org

Unite Community and Unite in Schools Coordinators

London and Eastern

33-37 Moreland Street

London EC1V 8BB

More London councils consulting on kicking the fiscal boot in on the poorest

Swheatie is reminded in Government claims that they will protect the poorest people, of the phrase "sadism masquerading as compassion." And central Government's drive toward 'localism' is just another means of passing the blame on when it reduces overall support from central government funds to local government.

By Zacchaeus 2000 — Justice for vulnerable debtors

Waltham Forest and Barnet consult on increasing Council Tax for poor residents

Waltham Forest and Barnet have joined Harrow in launching consultations on proposals to cut the level of Council Tax Support (CTS) available to their low income residents.

Barnet’s consultation proposes increasing their 8.5% minimum payment to either 15% or 20%. This could lead to a lone parent with two children in the borough facing a council tax bill of £210, more than double what they are currently expected to pay. Unlike other councils however Barnet does at least present maintaining the current level of support as an option and we hope that is what the majority of respondents will argue for. Continue reading  on z2k website→

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A NEW POLL TAX?

Read Z2K's joint report with CPAG on the impact of the abolition of council tax benefit in London here.

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‘Forced Out’ documentary

'Forced Out' is a short documentary, produced by Z2K that looks at what it means to be poor in London and how Welfare Reform is changing our city. Please watch and share

Real people's stories testify to housing crisis

(You probably wouldn't get any of these stories from Zoopla or RightMove!)

1. The housing problem — 2 children in one bedroom, 11 and 7 years. I give up bidding, I have 388 points, when I nearly reached 600 they took it off me. I try with a swap — they didn't accept me, comething about data protection. Exhange — people don't like the estate, 3rd floor.
2. Would want to live here, own flat, we live an a very small flat, in the long term for a bigger place — hit barriers, housing pricess... in a way it's good if you own — property prices going up... those schemes that can assist those who do earn... will drive out diversity if only rich can afford to live here.
3. One thing: the cuts to local government — council tax benefit — that affects my mum — it's talking money out of other things she needs, my sister has diabilities.
4. Housing issues — for a young man, is very hard, I'm at my parents. You should be offered something especially if you're working. They could build affordable council housing.
5. I don't realistically earn enough to live where I am... I wouldn't want it to get much more expensive round here, I hope people can still afford to live round here... a lot of the lawas for social housing are being dodged... It's a London-wide problem, it's a higher level problem, we need a new government, need Tories out, Lib Dems turned out useless, I voted for them. The vast majority of developments ave not much social housing — I read Private Eye, how they fudge the figures bout how much social housing. They don't think bout how it's going to be, even if you have more expensive restaurants, who's going to work there, people are having to travel further to work, pay more for travel. My brother and sister are caretakes for an estate that's empty, that's the only way they can live there.
6. Policies needs to be put in place... policies about rent control... a small proportion will stand to gain from gentrification. You can put on as many community shows, or entertainment and events and projects, but it doesn't mean shit if no one can afford to live here. A short-termism
7. Trieds to ask the landlord about damp — the council said, NW6 can easily find someone to replace you. — the landlord can send in environmental halth but there's no safeguard against not renewing contract or raising rent.
8. There's gentrification, landlords, no housing stock around here, might want to start a family, a terrible fear you won't get the diversity of classes, inocme bands... everything I love about this area would be destroyed.
9. I used to live here, now I live in Cricklewood, this was a small flat — had to go to Cricklewood to get a bigger one... Council would have to wait long... housing project build compounds.
10. 1 bed flat, 5 kids, me and husband didn't give any points, health and safety, kitchen and sitting room together.
11. If I could afford to buy a house here I'd stay; got the theatre, cinema, etc; don't know what else I'd want
12. Get a camera, do a documentary about homeless people — more and more people bing kicked out.
13. I have been threatened with evictions, the stress, amount of work to find new accommodation, it's too much, it disrupts the rest of your life. Your work.

Meet in August to address the Housing Crisis in Kilburn and London

A daytime strategy meeting to address the Housing Crisis in Kilburn and London

Called for by Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group

Supported by KUWG, Unite Community membership, and Community Organisers.

Everyone is now aware of the dceepening crisis in Housing in London and its impact on local residents and ourcommunities. Over the last two years the Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group has been dealing with — and campaigning on — more and more housing cases in the wider area.

We want to bring together people from across our community for a more united and sustainable response:

• Individuals (especially those with housing problems)
• Tenants and Residents Associations
• Housing and advice workers
• School, community and council rerpresentatives
• Trade Unions and political organisations.

We want to hold an inclusive, participatory strategy meeting so we can begin to:

• share experiences about the housing challenges faced by people in Kilburn and build connections
• help each other cope and find solutions; make our voices heard
• develop and campaign collectively around policies which would begin to meet real housing needs in the area

WE HOPE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND AND PUBLICISE THIS MEETING TO OTHERS WHO MAY WANT TO BE INVOLVED:
11AM-1PM, WEDNESDAY 13 AUGUST 2014 @ CASA LATINA

Priory House, 10 Kingsgate Place, London NW6 4TA

(Some of) what's happening now:

• .... Housing insecurity and homelessness; inflated rents and house prices; huge shortage of social housing; overcrowding, disrepair, evictions... displacement
• ... reduction in the Local Housing Allowance (housing benefit for private accommodation), the benefit cap, 'Bedroom Tax', charging Council Tax on Benefits, "Affordable" rent being defined as 80% of the market rate [on a London that is becoming a global billionaires' Monopoly board], spike in benefit sanctions...
• ... Cuts to legal aid, advice, support and language services; no security of tenure in private and social housing; exploitation, bully and victimisation, ...
• ... Low pay and 'zero hour contracts', rogue landlords, loan sharks...

 KUWG is part of the Unite Community and the London Coalition Against Poverty and campaigns with Social Work Action Network, Brent Housing Action, Housing 4 All, and the London Radical Housing Network.