Nibbling at the edges of the sector's cheese
Sing-a-long-a-Alex
Hats off to the organisers of the annual Federation of Black Housing Organisations conference for including some of the finest entertainment ever seen at such events – other than the late bar, that is.

Booking broadcaster, journalist and "Caribbean communicator" Alex Pascal to speak mid-way through the weekend proved an inspired choice. His discourse, billed as "Our Principles Are Not For Sale", was a revelation – the perfect antidote to the programme of seminars and workshops.

I'm not sure if he stuck to the FBHO's brief, but by the end Pascal had most of the crowd singing along with him.

Stick 'em up! This is a leaflet!
Nacro chief executive Paul Cavadino has had a trying time with couriers.

The crime reduction charity recently sent some promotional literature from its head office in Stockwell to nearby Norwood. On opening the package, surprised Nacro staff found no leaflets – just firearms.

Cavadino never got the leaflets back – which, ironically, were about reducing crime – but said he hopes they did the arms dealer some good.

I know little of these things, of course, and far be it from me to impugn the talents of whomever the brace of guns were intended for, but I can only begin to imagine how difficult it must be to hold up a bank or off-licence with a load of Nacro leaflets.

A load of bull
Naturally, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister likes to trumpet its own virtues – well, if it doesn't, who will?

Anyone interested should take a look at www.housing.odpm.gov.uk/csr2000/summary, where Prescott's finest remind us that they are adding significantly to housing resources, and, indeed, plan to double the amount of cash the miserly Tories were willing to cough up.

The heading on this steaming pile of achievements? "Main bull points".

Ugly – but not unloved
It has taken a while, but the internet has finally turned its attention to offering a high-tech solution to the problem of the estimated 1 million empty and void properties across the country.

A Chichester estate agent has set up a website to promote ugly properties as a beautiful investment. John Ashmore hopes that uglyproperties.com will bring together buyers and sellers of vacant buildings made less attractive by fire damage, vandalism or unpopular location.

Housing association rebranding guru Wally Ollins, will no doubt be paying close attention to the success of the subtly titled venture.

And in the blue corner …

Housing folk can get hot under the collar when discussing the contentious issue of homelessness, but conflicts are normally sorted out in a quiet, civilised kind of way. Try telling that to Brent council’s housing director Martin Cheeseman, who came close to the edge last week. When a delegate at a homelessness conference confronted him about housing benefit arrears, Cheeseman offered to take the matter outside, so to speak. Things looked bad for Cheeseman as the delegate was built like a wall. Happily, though, the pair returned unbruised, having thrashed out a solution non-violently instead.

Source

Housing Today