15th
Nov 2021
It seems that Acorn the pro tenant activist group is at loggerheads with the Green Party run Brighton Council because it is not prosecuting nowhere enough rogue landlords.
The local arm of the movement has posted a social media campaign heavily criticising the council which included one post saying: “Brighton & Hove Green Party need to keep to their promises and get serious about fixing the renting crisis in our city!”
A far more detailed message posted on Facebook says: “Since we caught out the Greens backtracking on commitments to landlord licensing in September, we met with Green councillors to discuss a date for landlord licensing and ways that they can improve support for renters.
“However, after several meetings with Green Housing Chair, Cllr David Gibson, negotiations broke down as he failed to live to his commitment to give a target date for landlord licensing and back tracked on commitments to improve support for renters in Brighton.”
The city arm of the movement has just announced that it is now working hand in hand with the individual councillors from both the Greens and Labour to ‘rectify’ the situation and they: “…..will be supporting a motion at the next housing committee meeting to commit to a target date for landlord licensing and also improve private sector enforcement by taking a zero tolerance approach to prosecuting landlords, and setting up a public database of rogue landlords.
“If passed this is a big step for improving renters rights in Brighton.”
Acorn recently organised a “Ban Second Homes” public meeting as well as lobbying councillors at the town hall.
Last month (October) at Acorn’s local group meeting it was decided to hold a campaign across Brighton and Hove areas for a motion at the upcoming council meeting in December, demanding the council holds a city-wide referendum on the second homes ‘crisis’.
If its wish is granted and a referendum is held and ‘passed’ by a majority of voters it hopes that any new-build homes will be banned from being sold to second home owners as in other areas of the UK.
Acorn says: “The issue of new developments being intended primarily for sale as second homes, as well as the increasing number of existing properties being purchased on a buy to let basis, is one of a number of reasons why finding a home in Brighton is becoming so difficult and expensive for ordinary people who actually live in the city.”
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