Transfer of council housing in Swansea to Tawe Housing, a Registered Social Landlord (RSL), will mean: -

* The loss of secure tenancies
* Higher rents and service charges
* More evictions
* A less democratic housing service
* Increased homelessness

The whole transfer project is extremely risky for all of us because if the new landlord gets into financial trouble then they could themselves be taken over with tenants paying a heavy price for their failure.
And tenants must be made aware that if it all goes wrong there is not the option of returning to council ownership and control. Transfer is a one way ticket!
Transfer ultimately means privatisation in law and practice. RSL’s may be technically ‘not for profit’ organisations but be under no illusions, they aren’t in business to do us any favours.
Transfer will give Tawe Housing not just our homes but all the land our estates are built on as well; some of them prime development sites, like the sea front location of the West Cross green.

HIGHER RENTS & SERVICE CHARGES

RSL’s are driving up rents and Tawe Housing will be no different in the long term. RSL’s rents are on average 20% higher than council rents (Housing Corporation Figures). And the Consumer Price Index shows they are also rising faster than council rents: - For the 12 months to September 2005 council rents went up by 4.7% while RSL rents went up by 5.4%. And we can forget any guarantees that may be offered. The National Audit Office found that 17% of Transfer Associations had broken rent agreement guarantees.

LESS SECURITY – MORE EVICTIONS

On transfer, tenants lose our special ‘secure’ tenancy and get instead an ‘assured’ tenancy which is far less protective. Secure tenants are protected by arguably the most generous charter of rights available in the residential sector. That security is lost on transfer. RSL’s have nearly double the eviction rates of those under council control.

LOSS OF ACCOUNTABILITY

As tenants of a local council we elect our landlord, the council, every few years. If we don’t like the way our councillors run our housing then we can vote them out at the ballot box. This direct, democratic accountability is lost forever after transfer.
Even the election of tenants on boards is a con. The role of tenant board members is primarily symbolic and they have to toe the management line. Tenants on a board are bound by company law and therefore will not be able to adequately represent the tenants who elect them.

INVEST IN COUNCIL HOUSING!

The best option for tenants is for the government to dramatically increase it’s investment in council housing and stop the privatisation programme. Local authorities must have access to cash to update and improve council housing as well as building more affordable council homes. Most tenants believe that all the income from rents and the money made from the sale of council houses are reinvested. But it isn’t! Next year the government plans to withhold £1.55 billion from our rents and making a further £500 million a year profit from ‘right to buy’ sales. This cash should be ploughed back into council housing and not used to fill government coffers.

VOTE NO!

Ninety eight local authorities have already rejected transfer after consulting tenants. Eight out of eleven transfer ballots held in December 2005 recorded ‘No’ votes.
Council tenants in Swansea must campaign to get a massive ‘No’ vote in the coming ballot and demand government investment to give us all decent, affordable council housing, owned and controlled by democratically elected councils, accountable to all of us.

For more information or to join Swansea Socialist Party contact Rob on: -
?07816134690
Email socialistpartywales@btinternet.com