South Wales Evening Post - 22 September 2005
Where has the money gone? And where will the money go? I refer to the report (Post, September 1) stating that the city council Labour group, "Want no participation in its proposed transfer of city housing stock to a private company''.
Central Government, through Welsh Assembly Government, are funding consultants to a tune of £1 million plus, to arrange transfer of council housing stock to a private company, who will bring city housing stock up to a minimal national standard.
City councilors have now employed high-powered consultants to sell the proposed scheme to council tenants who, next year, will vote on the proposal to implement the scheme.
As one of more than 14,500 council tenants paying nearly £40 million per year in rent and living in houses that, according to WAG consultants, do not meet the minimal national housing standard, I ask, where has past rent income gone?
Nearly £10 million per year is paid by the city in interest on money borrowed on council houses. The current rental income on housing stock is almost £40 million per annum. It would appear housing stock has been mortgaged to the hilt and beyond. Where has the money gone? Is city housing stock a cash cow?
The first proposal of the new scheme is to borrow £340 million over the next 10 years to bring housing stock up to minimal national standards. The Government will underwrite council housing debt to achieve this objective. As a council tenant I pay a rent called social housing, but where has my past rent gone?
As reported (Post, September 9) current leaders of the city council seem to have a cash crisis: £20 million Bishop Gore School, £25 million leisure centre, £9 million council houses, bridges and roads.A
s reported (Post, September 11) council bosses will raise this cash by selling off city assets. What assets? Or will its scheme to sell off council houses to a private company, more than £800 million in rent and loans over the next 10 years be the cash cow?
As a council tenant paying rent and council tax, living in accommodation that, (according to WAG consultants is not up to minimal national standards) I ask, what is going on?
The Labour Group state, as reported (Post, September 1), "Social housing should be directly managed and accountable to an elected council''.
I now call those bosses to be accountable. Where are we being financially led? What is going on in our city? We have a right to know.
Stand up and be accountable.
D Mainwaring, Warwick Place, West Cross, Swansea
