HARINGEY workers and residents yesterday said they are glad to see the back of council leader Claire Kober and want her housing ‘regeneration’ scheme dropped.
Kober resigned on Tuesday in the wake of mass opposition to the Haringey Development Vehicle, a £2bn deal with a private US developer that will see the demolition of council homes. 22 Labour councillors have opposed the scheme and the Labour NEC requested it be stopped.
Local Wood Green resident Simone Anne told News Line: ‘It’s good that councillor Kober has gone. Maybe she wasn’t up to the job and we’ll get someone who is more understanding of the people. We should have more housing for the homeless, young people coming up and the vulnerable – affordable housing. We don’t want privatisation. Now councillor Kober has gone, they should scrap the scheme they were planning, definitely.’
Another local resident, Muhu James, said: ‘It’s good the council leader has resigned. I’m against privatising housing. The council should scrap their scheme now councillor Kober has left.’ Edmonton resident Naomi Smith told News Line: ‘I don’t agree with privatisation. They need to build more social housing, anyway. It’s all about business and profit, it’s not about the people. It’s good the council leader who was pushing the regeneration scheme has resigned. The people should be running things. The government says it has the best interests at heart but they don’t really care. It’s all about money and profit.’
Naomi’s son Kyle, 22, added: ‘The regeneration is bad. A lot of young people can’t get housing and have to stay at home until they’re 30. Young people want to be independent. Workers should have a say. A Council of Action should run things, not these councils who privatise.’
Support worker Barbara Hainey said: ‘I work for One Housing. They are funded by Haringey. Support services used to be all at one centre, Canning Crescent. They’ve shut that down.
‘The fact that the council leader who was pushing regeneration has gone is good. The scheme will hopefully go with her. We need more council housing, not privatisation. Haringey Council have had so many mess-ups over the years.’
