And Glasgow tenants voted for transfer by a narrower margin than expected.
Birmingham’s tenants overwhelmingly rejected England’s largest stock transfer with a 65 per cent ‘no’ vote on a 67 per cent turnout. There were 20,350 votes for transfer, and 40,869 against.
The result sent shockwaves through the housing sector – much of which had predicted a ‘yes’ vote – and left the council wondering what steps to take next.
The rejection comes despite Birmingham having allegedly spent millions of pounds on publicity material.
The damning result signals a serious setback for the government’s ability to meet its 10-year decent homes target, based on its plans to transfer 200,000 homes a year during the same period.
It also raises the question of how Birmingham is going to repair and modernise its homes with a crippling £900m housing debt.
Dennis Minnis, cabinet member for housing, said: “Throughout the process we have said that existing resources are not enough to deliver the improvements tenants deserve. We will continue to look for alternative resources to secure decent homes for Birmingham’s tenants.”
Housing director David Thompson added that the council was now better placed to tackle the challenge, as the transfer preparations had established a more accountable and locally based service.
Defend Council Housing hailed the result as the death knell of a “disastrous stock transfer policy”.
Frank Chance, of Birmingham DCH, said: “The privatisers and fixers should hang their heads in shame.” He called for the resignation of council leader Sir Albert Bore, credited as the architect of the transfer proposal.
The DTLR said: “We will continue to work with Birmingham council and consider the options for achieving the decent homes target.”
It urged the council to keep its 10 devolved area-based housing teams and work with the Government Office for the West Midlands in drawing up alternatives for the stock.
Meanwhile, tenants voted ‘yes’ in Glasgow’s key ballot, the UK’s largest. Around 50,000 tenants voted, with 58 percent in favour of transfer and 42 per cent against. Glasgow Housing Association will take over 88,000 homes.
Council leader Charlie Gordon said: “[The result] will accelerate regeneration and bring in £1.5bn of much-needed investment to upgrade and rebuild the city’s current stock over the next 10 years.”
The Scottish Executive described the decision as a “giant leap towards achieving community ownership”.
However, public sector union Unison complained: “Faced with the kind of one-sided vote forced on them by the executive, people vote pragmatically for the promise of better homes.”
Source
Housing Today
No comments yet