Published: 2 February, 2012

• Your Comment, (Rents up… suicidal? January 26) mentions that tenants “…probably felt abandoned by Labour.”

You would be correct. The tenants on Kingsgate estate are certainly angry with the planned increase in council rents by 8.1 per cent.

According to a recent article by the policy adviser for The Chartered Institute of Housing, the government actually subsidises owner-occupiers more than tenants.

Camden should be very careful of inadvertently following central government’s council housing eradication plan.

It is good to read that the council is resisting pressure to introduce 80 per cent of market rates (in reality private rental rates are set by “buy-to-let” landlords) and we will oppose any move in that direction as also the move to bring in “fixed-term short-term tenancies” but we would also urge that the council does not push the burden of the cuts onto tenants.

What is odd is that, yet again, council tax remains frozen at 0 per cent. So, yet again, the wealthiest who can afford the most are not affected. We will be sending in our petition soon.

Franz Clinton
Chair Kingsgate Estate Residents Association