This press release was issued on 11/02/11

Stop privatisation; improve existing and build a new generation of first class council housing
Press Statement for release on 11 Feb 2011
HOUSING EMERGENCY - mass lobby and protest 15 Feb
Hundreds of angry tenants from all over Britain will lobby Parliament next Tuesday 15th. Outrage has been fuelled by the news just a week before the lobby that one of the planned benefit cuts will hit 130,000 households in England alone.
The day of protest includes a demonstration outside Parliament with placards and banners 3pm Tue 15th Old Palace Yard SW1

Eileen Short Chair of Defend Council Housing and part of the Housing Emergency coalition says Tenants will not tolerate these attacks on our rights. There are five million of us, and our families - united we can stop them. We are demanding MPs and Councillors act now: protect secure tenancies and low rents, stop the robbery and invest in the homes we need: decent, affordable, secure and accountable.

David Cameron promised before the election to support social housing, we will protect it and we respect social tenants rights. The Conservatives said they had no policy to change the current or future security of tenants (Inside Housing 30 April 2010). Housing Emergency says this promise has been broken as the government seeks to end lifelong tenancies, allow rents to be raised and cut funding for new housing.

Brendan Barber General Secretary of the TUC is supporting Housing Emergency. He says The TUC is glad to support this campaign against the governments attack on social housing and housing benefit. The solution to the UKs housing crisis is to build new homes - now more than ever its time for the government to wake up to the devastating affects these cuts are having and start to invest in council and other rented housing.

Speakers at the rally 12 noon 15th Feb Methodist Central Hall Storey's Gate Westminster include MPs Caroline Lucas, Bob Russell, Clive Betts and Frank Dobson, Cllr Catherine West (leader Islington Council), Linda Burnip, (Disabled People Against Cuts), Wilf Flynn, (UCATT), Alistair Murray, (Housing Justice), Brenda Chester (Amicus Horizon tenant and member of National Tenant Council) and Leeds Tenants Federation, with workshops by Crisis, Housing Law Practitioners and London Coalition Against Poverty.

Notes to editors: 1. Housing Emergency brings together tenants, homeless and disabled people's organisations, trade unions, local authorities and campaigns against the Governments attacks on secure tenancies, rents, communities and housing benefit, and to lobby for investment in secure and genuinely-affordable housing.

2. The Housing Emergency campaign includes council, housing association and other private tenants, trades unions, Councils and a range of campaigns and voluntary organisations joining together to fight the housing and benefit reform proposals.

3. Read a letter published in the Guardian 2nd December http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/dec/03/building-opposition-to-housing-cuts

Further information from www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk
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