OTHER ISSUE 5 ARTICLES:

THE BIG BOYS WANT MORE TOYS

CONSULTANTS STEAL £250 MILLION

FIRST THEY CAME FOR THE...

POLICE SPENDING OUT OF CONTROL

LOCAL ROUND UP

GLOBAL ROUND UP

LIVERPOOL HOUSING SCANDAL

A recent government Audit Commission Report has revealed a scandelous state of housing in Liverpool. There are thousands of houses left derelict and in decay - enough to house 50,000 people. In addition 14% of houses in Liverpool are in a poor state and fall below national minimum standards.
Even council houses are being left to rot in Liverpool because of the council's social experiment for the city. 58% of council houses are now in need of renovation, but the council are refusing to invest any of the cash required for this huge job. One councillor admitted this month that "The council has no policy of planned maintenence because the stated aim is to hand over all council houses to housing associations or registered social landlords."
Housing Associations now own 15% of homes in Liverpool and are becoming the new corporate landowners in the city. For some this has been a positive thing, because they do have the funds to invest in rennovation and redevelopment. But they also wield an enormous amount of power and are even less accountable than the council. The 'gentrification' of parts of the city such as Canning has the long-term effect of displacing local businesses and local people as house prices rise to unaffordable levels. Some Associations are quite open about their preference for moving wealthy professionals into the newly renovated housing. In some areas, like Kensington, Housing Associations are also seeking to monitor tenants behaviour more closely. If you want to live in a newly done up Riverside house in Kensington, then you will be placed on 6 months probation during which housing officers will keep an eye on you to make sure you don't play music too loud or put rubbish out on the wrong day.
Meanwhile, the city is being allowed to decay by a spineless council that is more concerned about attracting corporate development projects that profit London-based property businesses than it is about investing in housing for the people who live here.