Social housing debate

They will be asked whether or not 5,400 council homes should remain under district council control or be transferred to a newly created stand-alone, not-for-profit Registered Social Landlord (RSL) or housing association, Hill and Vale Housing.

Reporter David Gibbs spoke to representatives from six of the district's tenants' associations for their views on the proposal...

Stroud District Council is one of 14 local authorities in England which has been successful in its bid for a place in this year's round of the Government's annual Housing Transfer Programme.

Since 1988, 227 Large Scale Voluntary Transfer (LSVT) ballots have taken place in 191 authorities (with several ballots in the same authority).

Tenants have voted for 178 of them in 142 local authorities, involving almost 706,000 homes.

They have rejected LSVT in 49 local authorities.

In the event of a Yes vote, Hill and Vale Housing Association will be staffed by current members of the council's housing staff and managed by a board - already set up in shadow form - of 15 voluntary directors, including five tenants, five council nominees and five independent people.

Stroud District Council argues that transfer is necessary to prevent financial meltdown and secure better housing for tenants.

It maintains it cannot adequately manage its housing stock in the face of declining government-housing subsidy coupled with the major investment required to bring the stock up to the government's Decent Homes Standard by 2010.

And it is spending £500,000 on what it terms an 'information campaign' to explain the proposed transfer to tenants.

In the process it has found itself head-to-head with opponents of the transfer, who fear it will precipitate rents rises, undermine tenancies, erode maintenance standards and lead to diminished representation and accountability.

The debate is evolving into a pitch battle for tenants' hearts and minds, with arguments and counter-arguments traded like punches between prizefighters.

NO Ann Thomas: tenant and joint chairman of Hampton Waves Residents' Association, Minchinhampton.

My personal opinion is that we should keep our houses. I don't want them sold.

If you read some of the literature, 13 housing associations have broken their agreement and put rents up.

The council has not been straight with us and are obviously keeping things close to their chests. They wouldn't tell us any of the downsides of the transfer to start with.

There are no advantages at all other than the management having big fat wages. Tenants don't want it.

The council is spending £500,000 on a yes campaign, which includes a video by Mark Porter (television doctor). Why Mark Porter? He doesn't live in a council house.

Seventy-two percent of houses in the Stroud District Council area are up to standard - which leaves only 28 percent to go.

We don't live in Hackney or Liverpool. We live in the countryside. Some estates are a bit rundown but it wouldn't take that much to do them up.

Half a million would have gone a long way to improving the houses now.

NO Veronica Davis: tenant and chairman of Stroud (Middle of the Hill) Residents' Association.

A lot of people want to stay with the old. It is better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

I understand the council's predicament - its are going to run out of money in a few years time but I don't think many of the tenants have been informed very well, because the council doesn't put the detail in plain language.

A lot of tenants just will not bother to vote because they say the council will do what it wants to do, no matter what they say, even though it is not like that really.

It doesn't seem to make a difference how often you tell the tenants it is up to them. If they don't vote it will be a yes vote.

I would prefer it to be no. A lot of people are very wary about housing associations - the astronomical rents. There is a feeling of helplessness.

Up here the youngsters couldn't care less if the houses are sold off from under their feet.

We've tried hard trying to convince them it is in their hands but it is a battle getting them to listen to us.

NO Sandra Mutton: tenant and representative of Swedale, Stancombe and Windyridge Tenants' Village Voice (village voices represent groupings of 25 or less council properties).

I don't agree with selling off social housing. Tenants understand there is a situation in which the tenancy can't remain as it is.

If it has to be a housing association, I would have been much happier if the company had been a charity, accountable to the Charity Commission.

I know the housing corporation is supposed to watch over the association and making sure everything is alright but the corporation is quite small and has a massive remit and can't possibly make sure everything is going along as it should be.

We all have worries. Nobody likes change.

The council seems pretty confident it is going to get a yes vote but the simple fact it has had trouble putting tenants on the board in the first place would tend to show tenants are not in agreement with the transfer.

Most people want housing at a rent they can afford with a right to buy. But once you lose a secure tenancy in law there are fears things could happen in the future.

Vera Subow: tenant and chairman of Sunnyhill Residents' Association, Stroud. (Also chairman of Stand Together Action Group, which is opposed to the proposed transfer.)

Housing associations have got very bad reputations. Thirteen housing associations around the country have broken their agreements and put up their rents.

NO Vivienne Davis: tenant and chairman of Top of Town Community Association, Stroud.

I'm dead set against any transfer. My two of my daughters live in a housing association houses and going by their problems I just haven't got any faith in housing associations.

Tenants have been well informed by the council and they've got lots of opportunities to speak to committee members on this subject but they don't seem to be bothered about it.

I don't think a lot of people up here will vote for or against it. I live in an area where people have got 'a couldn't care less' attitude.

They are the sort of people who will sit by and let everything go on around them. Then, afterwards, they will say why didn't I know anything about that.

I will be voting against it.

YES Dee Wright: tenant and secretary of Trinity Active Residents' Association.

I think the transfer should go ahead.

If we don't have a yes vote we will find ourselves in three or four years time having to pay for things like maintenance or the council is going to run out of money. A lot of things will not be up to scratch.

If we have this transfer the council will have more money and we will be able to get things done better.

I am hoping the housing association will be a lot more efficient. I'm hoping it will go yes. If it is no I'm going to be very disappointed.

The problem with tenants is apathy and the fact that a lot of them don't have representation.

You have meetings and people just don't turn up. It is always the same people that come. It is very difficult to get a message across when three-quarters of the population don't want to know.

There are 5,500 houses but only 22 representatives and most tenants haven't got a clue.