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From The Socialist newspaper, 15 October 2014
Johnson's housing crime scene
James Ivens, Lambeth and South West London Socialist Party
If you believed a word from London's Tory mayor Boris Johnson, you might think he was committed to building affordable housing. Events in Raines Park, in the south west London borough of Merton, show exactly the opposite.
"Raynesfield" is a development of 28 homes owned by the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime. Originally it housed police officers, but when this ceased, the homes were offered to other public sector workers. Many tenants have been there for twenty years or more. From 28 October onwards, the housing association that manages it will be evicting them.
Selling the site to one of his developer chums is more important to Johnson than housing key workers. And the money will be useful for buying water cannon and other extravagant repressive equipment to boost his Tory leadership credentials.
Hijacked
Johnson has hijacked affordable housing funding in London. Rather than providing homes with permanent tenancies at affordable rents, the funding is used to subsidise developers' overpriced, exclusive schemes. So called affordable housing requires household incomes of over £60,000!
As one of Johnson's supporters said, "Even City solicitors need affordable housing."
People with a housing need, including police officers, will find they need to look elsewhere. The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), which includes the Socialist Party, has committed to a mass house building programme - at genuinely affordable rents.
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In The Socialist 15 October 2014:
£££ Britain needs a pay rise
Fight for mass action to end cuts and low pay
Mark Serwotka: Building a strong, fighting union
Fight the cuts!
How a mass campaign stopped the cuts
Challenging the austerity parties
Barking and Dagenham council at a crossroads
Socialist Party news and analysis
Tories and Labour in crisis after Ukip win
International socialist news and analysis
Ireland: Stunning byelection victory for Socialist Party
Obama's strategy to beat IS lies in tatters
Socialist Party workplace news
First NHS pay strike for 30 years
Local government pay: reject offer, reinstate action!
Care UK workers mark 81st strike day
600 St Mungo's housing workers to strike for a week
Recycling workers strike over pay and conditions
Severfields engineers strike against bonus cut
Youth Fight for Jobs
Young workers say: decent jobs now
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
'Political awakening' continues in Scotland
Building the Socialist Party
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