The Thompson family have now appeared in two lots of Council News and one edition of Great Places To Live. They are important to Gateshead Council's "selling" of demolition. They were tennants of Home Housing who were moved to a brand new house and were quoted liberally as being terribly grateful to Gateshead Council. We wish them lots of luck.
However the key phrase was "Home Housing". As a secure tennant they had rights. Not so other private tennants. When demolition was proposed the Council made a lot of noise about finding new homes for tennants and a £4,000 disturbance allowance. Among those on benefit living week by week on low government handouts a £4,000 cheque was a life changing sum of money. It was especially valuable since the council hinted at find people new homes in the area.
Unfortunately it never quite worked out like that. Mrs Thatcher's tennancy reforms in the 1980s provided that Short Hold Tenancy as the norm. This allows you to rent for up to 6 months and your landlord just has to give you one month's notice to leave. So in a money saving wheeze the men from the Council told landlords that they would only by their property without a tennant. So your average private tennant was given a month to leave, no help in finding a new home and obviously no disturbance payment. Once the tennant was gone the Council would then buy the property without any obligation to help the previous tennant. Job done.
Which explains the Thompsons. One of the small number of tennants with rights. Compelled by law to give them help the family is an ongoing photo opportunity. Private tennants haven't appeared in Council News because they have no rights and no help.
2 comments:
This just isn't correct! I lived at 21 Trevethick Street for 2 years on a private tenancy and received $4400 and moving costs. I found the council officers helpfull and got my cheque 4 weeks after moving after they helped me to move.
Thank you for your comment.
The article is accurate. The Thompson Family have been used in 3 separate publicity events by Gateshead Council. Alternatively the same one three times. If Gateshead Council had queues of happy families wanting to cheer on demolition they would have used them.
You didn't volunteer to be photographed and have your comments made public. That is your right. You also write anonymously so we can't check your claim.
So we remain in a situation where we know of no-one who will come forward in the light of publicity as a private tennant who has received the promised money. On the contrary we have complaints from people who would rather not go public for fear of being removed from the possibility of reocation to decent housing.
If you want to go public please email us, the address is on the top of the blog, and a member of our executive will call you.
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