Why you should say NO to ALMO

Lambeth Defend Council Housing public meeting

• Tuesday 3 July

• 7pm to 9pm

• St Vincent’s Community Centre, Talma Road, Brixton (click here for a map)

Don’t vote until you’ve heard both sides of the argument!

Come to our meeting to hear the case against setting up an ALMO and to find out what you can do to help the campaign to stop it.

Austin Mitchell MP, Chair of the House of Commons council housing group, and Lesley Carty from the national Defend Council Housing campaign will be speaking about the national fight to win the “Fourth Option” of Direct Investment in Council Housing.

Click here to download a poster

Vote NO to ALMO!

The ballot paper that Lambeth Council have issued at ridiculously short notice is confusing to say the least!

The important thing to remember is that it’s only the fourth question that matters. The other “survey questions” will have no bearing on whether the Council forms an ALMO or not – and are not even fair questions anyway!

Make sure you use your vote to say NO to ALMO, and that your friends and neighbours do the same!

If you can, print out some posters and stick them up around your estate!

ALMO ballot underway - vote no!

Both Tenant and Leasehold Council's voted for a single question ballot. Disgracefully Lambeth Council officers have chosen a four question format. The wording of the questions has not been made available but we will find out soon enough.

The 'test of opinion' PPCR organised for the United Residents Housing ALMO (a mini-ALMO comprised of several Tenant Management Organisations^*) had the following questions:

1. Have you heard about United Residents Housing (yes/no/don't know)
2. Are you aware that URH will not affect your tenancy or lease - you will remain a tenant or leaseholder of the Council? (yes/no/don't know)
3. Do you know about the improvements that URH intends to make to homes on your estate and to the estate in general? (yes/no/don't know)
4. Would you support setting up URH to deliver these improvements? (yes/no/don't know)
5. Have you got any other comments about URH?
6. Would you be prepared to let URH contact you at regular intervals to find out what you think of URH and your RMO and the services they both deliver? (yes/no/don't know - if yes please supply your contact details)

These were clearly leading questions. There is a clear implication that only supporting the creation of URH will result in improvements. Needless to say URH has not delivered any improvements and has asked for it's inspection to be delayed until July 2008 (at least a two-star performance rating is needed for the extra funding to be made available).

I think we can expect a similar 'ballot' for the current Lambeth wide ALMO.

Given the shifting national political picture, with all six Labour deputy leadership candidates supporting the fourth option of direct investment, and Gordon Brown saying he has an 'open mind' on the issue, a moratorium on all proposed stock transfer, PFI and ALMO schemes would be best.

In the meantime every vote against stock transfer, PFI and ALMO proposals is a further nail in the coffin of government's attempts to privatise social housing.

Lambeth DCH urge all residents and leaseholders to vote against the ALMO proposal and to join us in our campaign for direct investment in council housing.

^* Blenheim Gardens RMO, Loughborough EMB, Roupell Park Resident Management Co-operative and Waltham RMO

What do leaseholders in Streatham think?

At a meeting on Tuesday 19 June eleven Streatham leaseholders patiently listened to representatives from PPCR (Lorane Ophelia) and Lambeth Council (David Thompson and Gabriel Brown) present how the proposed ALMO would be of benefit to them.

Or not, as it turned out.

The meeting invite, authored by Peter Redman--Divisional Director, Housing Management and Property Services--sought to assure us of the key principles Lambeth will adopt:

• Leaseholders will have a say in investment plans.
• We will always consult with you before incurring costs.
• We will work with you to ensure that any investment you make contributes to adding value to your dwelling.
• We will investigate ways of offering you the benefit of bulk discounts on the supplies and contracts we use
• We will provide easier ways for payment for those on the lowest incomes

Upon questioning Council officers could not support these claims. Taking the points one at a time:

• We already have a say in investment plans through existing democratic structures: our local Residents Associations, Area Forums and Leasehold Council. At present leaseholders can refuse internal works. Any future ALMO will only follow the statutory consultation process for exterior works (e.g. roofs and windows).
• As above, officers confirmed that only the legal minimum (so-called 'Section 20 Notice') statutory consultation process will apply.
• It is unlikely that roofing and window works would significantly add to the value of leaseholders dwellings (buyers kind-of expect a wind and water tight property).
• Would anyone VOLUNTARILY invite Lambeth's contractors into their homes to replace a kitchen or bathroom?
• There will be no improvement to the current payment regime; a strange mixture of incompetence (no attempt at collecting money) and legal threats and bullying. The maximum twenty-four month installment plan will remain and leaseholders will continue to sell-up or arrange expensive additional credit (if they can get it).

So there we have it. More lies and half-truths. Absolutely no benefit moving to the ALMO. Just a recipe for more cost, secrecy (sorry that information is 'commercially sensitive') and buck-passing.

Vote no, stick with Lambeth and join the campaign for the 'Fourth Option' of direct investment. At a national level all six Labour Party deputy leadership candidates support the Fourth Option and Gordon Brown reportedly has 'an open mind'. Let's keep fighting!

Lobby Cabinet on Monday

Lambeth Council's Cabinet are meeting on Monday 11 June. The ALMO is top of the agenda.

Join tenants and leaseholders from across the borough in demonstrating outside the Town Hall — show the council that we are not going to stand for two-stage privatisation of council housing!

Click here to download a poster for the lobby.

New Lambeth Defend Council Housing broadsheet published

A new four-page newspaper has just been published by Defend Council Housing, explaining why tenants and leaseholders in Lambeth should vote NO to ALMO. Click here to download it.

If you would copies to give out to your neighbours and friends, please get in touch and we'll send some to you - our contact details are at the bottom of the page.

You can also download some Vote NO to ALMO posters. Print one out and put it in your window to show your support for the campaign!
Download poster 1
Download poster 2
Download poster 3