regeneration or social cleansing?!

[HelenaDove]

morningstaronline.co.uk/article/ex-miners-face-eviction-to-make-way-for-luxury-flats

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-42820424

"Residents of a housing association in Essex have criticised plans that could see their homes demolished.

Genesis Housing Association is considering the future of Alexandra Court in Southend, which could see it torn down and a new block built in its place with double the number of flats.

One woman spoke of her dismay after being told it was her "home for life".

Genesis has assured tenants they would be re-housed at the same rents if demolition was approved.

There are currently 262 flats in the block on Baxter Avenue.

Brenda Philips, who has lived in Alexandra Court for 34 years, told BBC Inside Out East she was worried about the plans.

"When we moved in here we were told this was our home for life, and suddenly it's not our home for life," she said.

She said she was also concerned at being moved out of her home for about 18 months while the new homes are being built.

"They've suggested to some of the residents here that they might move in to bed and breakfast accommodation or hotels, or we could go to Colchester or Chelmsford," she added."

"Another resident, Carole Fisher, said: "I really like this flat. I don't think there's much wrong with it. We have had new kitchens, we've had new gardens.

"We've had central heating put in and double glazing, and I'm by myself and it's easy to keep clean, easy to heat. I love my flat."

Resident Jan Swinton added: "It's very important for me to be here because my daughter is disabled and she lives about 10 minutes away, and this is the ideal site here for me."

Social housing deficit
The National Housing Federation is calling for more investment in housing for social rent and many associations have serious concerns about social housing.

Jeremy Stibbe, of Genesis, said: "It [social housing] needs public subsidy, it needs grant, and that's not been available.

"In 2012 the government stopped funding social housing. No-one wanted it to happen, but that's what the policy was at the time, so to deliver social homes was impossible," he said.

James Prestwich, head of policy at the National Housing Federation, said: "England desperately needs more homes for social rent so it was absurd when the government stopped all investment in this type of property in 2011, whilst simultaneously cutting overall investment in social housing by two thirds."

A BBC investigation has found over the last five years in England:

More than 150,000 housing association homes were demolished, sold or converted to affordable rather than social rent
Only about 46,000 homes built for social rent, so housing associations are getting rid of more socially rented homes than they are building"

It’s shameful but sadly not surprising

If you want a 'home for life' buy a house. Ridiculously simplistic statement? Yes. But if you rent whether it be from the council or privately, how can you ever expect a 'home for life.'

Also; they are going to be rehoused in the same block for the same rent. I don't see what their issue is.

Maybe their issue is being moved around like chess pieces at the HAs whim.

same HA

www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2015/aug/07/housing-asssociation-no-longer-build-homes-poor-genesis

Very unsettling. I'd be upset too.

If they're still going to live there but in better spec housing, how is that social cleansing?

Maybe their issue is being moved around like chess pieces at the HAs whim.

It's not a whim, they won't be doing it unless it makes commercial sense for them to do it. If this allows the HA to make a profit, which can be put into building more HA properties then that has to be a good thing.

If they don't want to move, they should buy a property.

Meh there will always be individual upsets in the persuit of a greater scheme.

At least they are being rehomed for the same rent in the same block. Normally thwy don’t get that.

I agree with damelorente and MorrisZapp.

When I think of social cleansing, loss of life frequently occurs which I am sure is not the case in this particular instance in Southend

Original Genesis no longer wish to build homes for social rent. In the link at 17.50.

Would expect nothing less in Tory Britain

When I think of social cleansing, loss of life frequently occurs which I am sure is not the case in this particular instance in Southend

Are you thinking of ethic cleansing? Social cleansing not normally associated with loss of life. Though maybe, in the longer term, in the case of Westminster council in the 1980s, when they moved families into tower blocks they knew to be affected by asbestos.

Meant ethnic cleansing, of course.

But why should home owners have a greater right to the stability of their housing than a tenant? You can choose to write laws which assure both. Successive governments haven't as they have katoeed to the greed of home owners.

It's hardly social cleansing if they get to move back in once work is completed.

Horrible on an individual level I’m sure but when she says they’ve had new kitchens, windows and gardens, something that would never happen in the private sector, it’s not fair to say they’re not investing in social housing.

We need loads and loads more houses. Hopefully it’ll happen. But they’re not being made to move away and rents aren’t going up even though the new flats will be much newer so you’re being a bit dramatic to accuse anyone of social cleansing.

Here have a nice new kitchen for free isn’t the same as death squads wiping out generations is it.

Anne thats ethnic cleansing not social cleansing.

mt there is no such thing as job security any more so your post is ridiculous.

mt there is no such thing as job security any more so your post is ridiculous.

I'm in a job in a private industry, where I truly can't expect to stay/ be kept until I retire. Should I be allowed "an advance preemptive council house?"
Council house should not be for life, it should be for NEED.

Well you made me doubt myself so I googled. The first paragraph of wiki says:

"Social cleansing (Spanish: limpieza social) is class-based killing that consists of elimination of members of society considered "undesirable," including but not limited to the homeless, criminals, street children, the elderly, sex workers, and sexual minorities[clarification needed].[1][2][3] This phenomenon is caused by a combination of economic and social factors, but killings are notably present in regions with high levels of poverty and disparities of wealth.[1][4] Perpetrators are usually of the same community as the victims and are often motivated by the idea that the victims are a drain on the resources of society.[1][5] Efforts by national and local governments to stop these killings have been largely ineffective, and the government and police forces are often involved in the killings, especially in South America."

So I guess we're both right ... or wrong.