landgrab

photo by max crow reeves

in the above photo you see horsemouth planning to urinate on a derelict estate in newham - an estate kept empty for years so as to be available for redevelopment at a higher density.






horsemouth has been spending a little time learning to play world turned upside down which as howard noted is strangely appropriate at the time of the government’s landgrab on housing associations and councils. the National Housing Federation has cooked up some backdoor deal where they give the government what they want voluntarily allowing the government to get the policy in without it being taken to a vote in the houses of commons. the councils may feel they have been ratted out (they would be obliged to sell off their more valuable property as it came empty to fund the ‘replacement’ of housing association property sold off under ‘right to buy’ legislation for housing association tenants) and will thus become uncooperative. 

horsemouth thinks right to buy (with up 100k reductions for longstanding tenants) should be extended. it should be extended to private tenants. similarly the requirement to lower rents by 1% every year (required of housing associations) that should be extended to private landlords too...etc. etc.

there are curious results from the blitzkrieg of proposed housing legislation - where once there was a set aside of a proportion of flats on most new build estates that had to be let out at affordable rent (80% of market rent) now this no longer has to be done - but housing associations will still be required to produce their new housing at affordable rent, it’s all a bit random and poorly thought out - but that doesn’t matter it just increases the shock and awe.

housing policy doesn’t have to work (in the sense of housing people) - all it has to do is drive people into the arms of private landlords and enable those landlords to charge the highest rent possible. that works for the landlords.

the sin of property we do disdain - but of course we don’t, we feel aggrieved that what is properly (if collectively) ours is being taken from us by government diktat - but really we are just being given an object lesson in the fact that all property rights ultimately derive from the state and can be revoked at any time.

you poor take courage you rich take care.