And Glasgow tenants voted for transfer by a narrower margin than expected.
Birmingham鈥檚 tenants overwhelmingly rejected England鈥檚 largest stock transfer with a 65 per cent 鈥榥o鈥� vote on a 67 per cent turnout. There were 20,350 votes for transfer, and 40,869 against.
The result sent shockwaves through the housing sector 鈥� much of which had predicted a 鈥榶es鈥� vote 鈥� and left the council wondering what steps to take next.
The rejection comes despite Birmingham having allegedly spent millions of pounds on publicity material.
The damning result signals a serious setback for the government鈥檚 ability to meet its 10-year decent homes target, based on its plans to transfer 200,000 homes a year during the same period.
It also raises the question of how Birmingham is going to repair and modernise its homes with a crippling 拢900m housing debt.
Dennis Minnis, cabinet member for housing, said: 鈥淭hroughout the process we have said that existing resources are not enough to deliver the improvements tenants deserve. We will continue to look for alternative resources to secure decent homes for Birmingham鈥檚 tenants.鈥�
Housing director David Thompson added that the council was now better placed to tackle the challenge, as the transfer preparations had established a more accountable and locally based service.
Defend Council Housing hailed the result as the death knell of a 鈥渄isastrous stock transfer policy鈥�.
Frank Chance, of Birmingham DCH, said: 鈥淭he privatisers and fixers should hang their heads in shame.鈥� He called for the resignation of council leader Sir Albert Bore, credited as the architect of the transfer proposal.
The DTLR said: 鈥淲e will continue to work with Birmingham council and consider the options for achieving the decent homes target.鈥�
It urged the council to keep its 10 devolved area-based housing teams and work with the Government Office for the West Midlands in drawing up alternatives for the stock.
Meanwhile, tenants voted 鈥榶es鈥� in Glasgow鈥檚 key ballot, the UK鈥檚 largest. Around 50,000 tenants voted, with 58 percent in favour of transfer and 42 per cent against. Glasgow Housing Association will take over 88,000 homes.
Council leader Charlie Gordon said: 鈥淸The result] will accelerate regeneration and bring in 拢1.5bn of much-needed investment to upgrade and rebuild the city鈥檚 current stock over the next 10 years.鈥�
The Scottish Executive described the decision as a 鈥済iant leap towards achieving community ownership鈥�.
However, public sector union Unison complained: 鈥淔aced with the kind of one-sided vote forced on them by the executive, people vote pragmatically for the promise of better homes.鈥�
Source
Housing Today
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