The letter below won the "Letter of the week" award in today's South London Press. Yet another example of the shocking intimidatory tactics council officers will sink to in order to deny tenants their right to have a say in the future of their council housing.
I have been a council tenant all my life.
I am opposed to the arm’s length management organisation (Almo) taking over our homes.
I went to a recent meeting about the Almo, organised by the Clapham and Stockwell area forum.
I was handing out Defend Council Housing leaflets which explain why we are opposed to the Almo.
I was shocked when one of the Lambeth council officials at the meeting asked me whether I was a tenant and which estate I was from.
It is appalling that when tenants question council policy we are quizzed about who we are and where we live.
I work in retail and my wages are nowhere near enough to buy my own flat on the private market.
The housing boom is only benefiting estate agents and property developers.
Council housing is like a dirty word to the Government, but where do they expect working-class people to go?
Council tenants are here to stay and I say we have got to make our voices heard by voting against the Almo.
Karen L, Lambeth council tenant, Clapham
