 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Association for Tenants and Leaseholders serviced by Camden Council linking residents of Camden borough street properties to discuss common aims and concerns. This covers issues like repairs, capital works, housing management, etc, and works toward policy and procedural change via Camden Council. CASP has formal voting membership status on District Management Committees (DMC's) and is also a formal member of the Camden Federation of Tenants and Residents Associations (CFTRA). The CASP Committee meet monthly and communicate with residents through newsletters, a website, borough-wide and district meetings - for more info, please refer to the 'about us' and 'participation' section of this website. If you wish to contact your CASP representative, to highlight an issue affecting LBC street properties in your area, or to raise any other issue affecting LBC street properties, please e-mail camdenstreetproperties@yahoo.co.uk. Alternatively, please use the contact details at the bottom of the page. To find out what's happening in your district (Kentish Town, Camden Town, Holborn, Gospel Oak, Hampstead) for LBC street properties, please also refer to the 'meetings and events' / 'district news' section of this website! "Unfortunately in the past decisions on how to develop representative structures for LBC street property tenants and residents have not in any way involved residents living in these properties. In fact, the process in place did nothing more than to contribute to the marginalisation of LBC residents living in Camden's residential streets. CASP are eager to ensure that this does not happen again!" (CASP deputation to Camden's Overview and Scrutiny Commission, June 14th 2005) http://democracy.camden.gov.uk/alfresco/guestDownload/direct/workspace/SpacesStore/6f460a7c-97a6-11de-80e6-dfb987124e3f/2009-09-01-Report-Item%2019%20CASP%20Report-Housing%20District%20Management%20Committee%20-%20(d)%20Holborn.pdf
CASP STANDS UNITED WITH OTHER CAMDEN TENANTS AGAINST THE SELL-OFF OF CAMDEN COUNCIL PROPERTIES! In April 2007 the Executive Member for Housing, Cllr Chris Naylor, was invited to attend the Association's AGM and address the meeting on Camden's Housing Strategy. As expected, many members at the meeting expressed concerns about the Council's possible plans to sell-off council street properties as a way to lever in much needed investment for Camden's deteriorating housing stock. Some months after the meeting, Camden Council announced its plans to sell a number of (empty) street properties. Again, the Association registered its disapproval by making its views known in a deputation to Camden's Executive on December 12th 2007. To read this deputation in full click on the link below http://camdenassociationofstreetproperties.org.uk/12th_dec_2007_49.html THE ASSOCIATION REMAINS UNITED IN THE VIEW - THE HOUSING SELL- OFFS MUST STOP NOW ! Sell-off freeze plea is ignored
One of the properties up for auction: http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/2009/080609/news080609_12.html HOMES SALE HAMMERING Housing bosses come under fresh attack after latest auction 
http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/2009/073009/news073009_01.html
NO HOME SELL-OFFS PUBLIC MEETING MONDAY 27TH JULY 2009 (7PM) CAMDEN TOWN HALL (COUNCIL CHAMBER) JUDD STREET, WC1 Camden New Journal (CNJ) - July 9th 2009 Official: Every Tenant on warpath over home sales New Journal survey challenges claims that tenants support sell offs
The mock auction protest that was held outside Aspern Grove on Friday To read the full story please click on the link below http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/2009/070909/news070909_02.html
Photos show tenants protesting outside Aspern Grove (July 3rd 2009) against the sell-off of much needed Camden Council properties - several properties, including (empty) Camden Council street properties, were due to come under the hammer at a public auction on July 6th 2009!
HOUSING SERVICES TO CAMDEN COUNCIL STREET PROPERTIES TO BE FORMALLY SCRUTINISED! Camden's Housing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee (made up of elected Camden Cllrs) agrees to 'scrutinise' standards in housing services to tenants and residents who live in Camden Council street properties (May 26th 2009) - for more info, please refer to the 'housing issues' section of this website! Minutes of HASC Scrutiny meeting - May 26th 2009 http://www3.camden.gov.uk/templates/committees/showHTML.cfm?file=27963.htm Here is a copy of the letter from Cllr Chris Philp, Chair of Camden's Housing and Adult Social Care (HASC) Scrutiny Committee requesting the joint deputation (Camden tenants and Cllrs) with the Minister for Housing - sent after tenant' groups present deputations on the issue and demand that a vote be taken at the meeting (HASC scrutiny panel meeting - May 26th 2009) The Rt Hon John Healey M.P. Minister for Housing, Department for Communities and Local Government, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU Dear John Healey, Meeting the Decent Homes Standard in Camden and the sale of Camden Council Houses Firstly, can I congratulate you on your appointment as the new Housing Minister. I am writing to request an urgent meeting to discuss funding for meeting the Decent Homes standard in the London Borough of Camden. The Government has in the past provided capital funding to local authorities to bring council housing up to the Decent Homes standard. Because Camden’s tenants did not want to adopt an Arms Length Management Organisation, Camden has not received any such Government funding. Once Camden’s existing budget for capital works is taken into account, a shortfall of £213 million over 5 years still remains if we are to meet the Government’s Decent Homes targets. In order to plug this funding gap, Camden Council is currently resorting to a number of measures, including the sale of council houses in the Borough. On Tuesday 2nd June during a pre-election visit to north London, the Prime Minister was asked about this situation by the Camden New Journal. Responding to a question about whether Camden Council should sell council properties to fund the Decent Homes work, the Prime Minister said: “I think what we need to do is to get the council to respond to our invitation for more money for council housing, for social housing.” This exchange is reported at: http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/2009/060409/news060409_01.html We would like to confirm that this means there is now Government money available to fund the Decent Homes work in Camden. This issue was also discussed at a meeting of Camden Council’s cross-party Housing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee on 26th May 2009. We received representations from tenants, leaseholders and Trade Unions (listed below). The scrutiny committee unanimously resolved to seek a meeting with yourself to be held within 4- 6 weeks, to discuss how this matter can now be resolved. This had the full support of the Tenants, Leaseholder and Trade Unions present. Representatives of these bodies would like to attend the meeting too. There is unanimity amongst all political parties in Camden, tenants, leaseholders and the Unions representing council staff that the Government should not discriminate against Camden simply on the basis that Camden’s tenants did not want to adopt an ALMO. If the Government can assist us with the Decent Homes funding, as it has with other councils, then this would remove the need to sell council houses. I look forward to hearing from you shortly on this matter and once I have received a date you from you I will contact those individuals and groups indicated above informing them of the date. I would not envisage that more than 10 people would attend the meeting from the various Camden groups. Yours sincerely, Councillor Chris Philp Chair of the Housing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny CommitteeRepresentatives of the following groups were present at the scrutiny meeting and unanimously agreed on (i) the need for an urgent meeting with you to discuss this matter and (ii) That it is preferable to obtain the missing money to fund the Decent Homes work from the Government (as other councils have) rather than from selling Camden’s council houses: Camden UNISON The Camden Association of Street Properties The Camden Federation of Tenants and Residents Camden Defend Council Housing Camden Council’s Labour Group Camden Council’s Liberal Democrat Group Camden Council’s Conservative Group Hampstead District Management Committee Gospel Oak District Management Committee
UPDATE - JUNE 2009 ! PM BROWN TO CNJ: ‘I’LL FIX HOMES’
PRIME Minister Gordon Brown finally appeared to open the door to long-awaited investment in Camden’s council homes – after being collared by the New Journal. To read the article click on the link below (CNJ June 4th 2009) http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/2009/060409/news060409_01.html Council houses sell-offs fight on its way to Beckett
Campaign to save properties set to go to Housing Minister in appeal for funds ‘The time for niceties is over – and Housing Minister Margaret Beckett had better beware’ To read the article click on the link below (CNJ May 28th 2009) http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/2009/052809/news052809_04.html SUMMER SALE: YOUR HOMES
‘Selling our homes is a disgrace’
To read the article click on the link below (CNJ May 21st 2009) http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/2009/052109/news052109_01.html Camden tenants speak out on national television against Camden Council's latest plans to market rent empty council properties instead of allocating to Camden's homeless community (April 27th 2009) To read the article and watch the news Item click on the link below http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8022165.stm
Tenants unite in protest over sale and market renting of empty council homes!
To read the article click on the below link: http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/2009/042309/news042309_01.html CASP COMES OUT IN SUPPORT OF THE 'NO SELL-OFFS' CAMPAIGN! JOIN THE LOBBY AT CAMDEN TOWN HALL, JUDD STREET, ON TUESDAY 26TH MAY 2009 (6.30pm) TENANT ORGANISATIONS ORGANISE A SERIES OF DEPUTATIONS TO CAMDEN'S HOUSING AND ADULT SOCIAL CARE SCRUTINY COMMITTEE AT CAMDEN TOWN HALL, JUDD STREET, ON TUESDAY 26TH MAY 2009 (7.00pm).
MARKET RENTING CAMDEN COUNCIL PROPERTIES! Camden Council is also currently exploring the idea of Market Rental of some of its existing void stock as an alternative to selling properties on the open market to property developers - the CASP Committee will meet with Cllr Naylor in March 2009 to discuss the option in more detail - see the link below to access the relevant report! http://www3.camden.gov.uk/templates/committees/documents/27012.doc MAYOR BORIS JOHNSON COMMENTS ON THE ISSUE! "What is the Mayor's view on Camden Council selling perfectly habitable council properties to private property developers at a time when the acute shortage of social housing is fast becoming a national crisis?" (CASP question to Mayor Boris Johnson, People's Question Time, March 5th 2009) http://www.london.gov.uk/gla/pqt/docs/20090305-bethnall-green.pdf The same question was put to Mayor Boris Johnson by Katie Davies of the Ham and High who recently interviewed Mayor Boris Johnson about his first 12 months in charge of London (Ham and High, April 9th 2009)
"I have publicly stated that I will not interfere in matters that are the responsibility of London boroughs. How Camden chooses to fund and manage its property portfolio is entirely a matter for its elected councillors. I am investing £5 billion to support the capital's housing market over the next three years and deliver 50,000 affordable homes, including more family-sized homes to rent or buy" (Mayor Boris Johnson, Ham and High newspaper, April 9th 2009)
THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO BE FLOGGING OFF THE FAMILY SILVER! "Many of our street properties have provided homes to generations of families. The present administration's plans to sell therefore, even a limited number of street properties, at a time when demand for council housing far exceeds supply, have been met with concern and we ask HOW CAN THIS BE JUSTIFIED!" (CASP Deputation to Camden's Executive, December 2007) (Click on the above link to read the Forum Opinion by Robert Latham, Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year and former Camden Labour councillor
CASP OPEN LETTER TO MARGARET BECKETT MP 27th November 2008 CASP SAYS "NO MORE COUNCIL HOME SALES!" "It is completely ironic that many TA's were set up to protect tenants from the surge in property speculation which sought to empty houses for renovation and sale. In some areas, street properties were identified which the council purchased as part of its Compulsory Purchase Order. Over the years, these properties have provided homes to many Camden families. Today, the choice has been made to sell these properties to the highest bidder!" (CASP Deputation to Camden's Executive, July 2008) (Click on the above link to read the latest article in the Camden New Journal) (Click on the above link to read the open letter published in the Camden New Journal and to read the reply from her Office) Contact Details Camden Association of Street Properties c/o CASP Chair, Tenant Participation Team, Room 304, Bidborough House, 20 Mabledon Place, WC1H 9BF Telephone 020 7974 3901 (Camden's TP Team - and ask for your contact details to be passed to CASP)
or email us direct at camdenstreetproperties@yahoo.co.uk
|
||
 |
||
| Site Map |