The campaign is growing to stop Manchester Council selling off all its housing across the South Manchester estates - Burnage, Withington, Barlow Moor etc.

All supporters are now invited and encouraged to come to the next meting this Saturday.

This is to organise as much activity as possible between now and the “vote” - and to ensure as much publicity as possible for the “fourth option” - to KEEP HOUSING PUBLIC.

The meeting is at St Paul’s Church, Withington (461 Wilmslow Road, on the left just after Withington village, as you go south), starting at 3pm. More details from John Clegg - 286 3739.

Please let people know and please come to the meeting. Stop the Sell Off! People Not Profit!

norma
(stop the warmongers)

Tenants Against Stock Transfer

Sam Derby

According to the professional housing journal Inside Housing, the largest housing association in England, People and Places has held talks with the Housing Corporation about floating the company on the stock market and selling shares to private investors.

The law firm Trowers and Hamlins, which advises the Housing Corporation on legal matters, said it was “almost inevitable” that associations would consider selling stock to the public.

Keith Jenkins, head of social housing at Bircham Dyson Bell said, “It is going to happen because all the factors are there to make it the sensible thing to happen”.

Sam Darby, Convenor for Tenants Against Stock Transfer, said today “this news confirms what we have been saying, that housing trusts are gearing up to become completely private limited companies, having shareholders and making profits. They have built up their reserves, presently £5 billion, rent out properties in the private rented sector and pay their chief executives between £170, 000 and £213, 000 a year. ”

“When the law firm advising the Housing Corporation says that privatisation is ‘inevitable’, then council tenants in South Manchester must realize that while it may not happen this year, it is inevitable that if they vote to transfer to Southway Housing Trust, they will be voting to become the tenants of a private landlord. ”

Contacts - Sam Darby 432-4496
John Clegg 286-7679