Tenants launch 'Vote No' campaign

Campaigners say it is a bad deal for tenants

Glasgow council tenants fighting plans to transfer the city's housing to community ownership have launched their "Vote No" campaign.

The Glasgow Campaign Against Housing Stock Transfer embarked on the campaign following a number of polls of council tenants.

The local authority wants to hand over all of its housing stock to a private housing association - a move which oponents say is a threat to local democracy.

First Minister Donald Dewar told the STUC Conference in Edinburgh the move was a bold one and would end the burden of housing debt on the city.

Paisley University and Glasgow Caledonian University have estimated that rents would rise by 16% in real terms over the next three years for tenants

Sean Clarkin, GCAHST chairman

As part of the deal, the Scottish Executive has pledged to take on the city's housing debts of nearly £1bn to release money for improvements.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, GCAHST chairman Sean Clarkin said: "The plan as envisaged by Wendy Alexander and the city council is mass privatisation of all the council houses in the city.

"The (housing associations) are privately financed landlords with all the money coming from private banks.

Councillors will ballot tenants on the plans

"Paisley University and Glasgow Caledonian University have estimated that rents would rise by 16% in real terms over the next three years for tenants.

"It's a bad deal for tenants."

GCAHST members are outlining their alternative to the plan, which is being spearheaded by Glasgow City Council.

Last week, councillors approved the first stage of the operation to transfer control of its housing.

But before it can complete the deal, it must win majority backing from the city's 90,000 tenants in a referendum.

Huge repair bill

Some tenant groups have already demonstrated against the scheme.

They are concerned that rents could increase, security for residents could be cut and the jobs and conditions of staff in the council's housing and building services department could be threatened.

In all, seven Scottish local authorities are planning to hand over their council housing stocks.

Glasgow council says that transferring its housing is the only way of improving the area's housing stock.

More than £1bn of renovations are needed, while the council has an outstanding housing debt of £940m.