Letters to the Editor
Right to be suspicious of shadow ALMO
Dear Editor,
Alan Walter of Defend Council Housing is justified in his suspicion of the Shadow Camden arm's-length management organisation (Letters, 29 Aug). If the government has evidence that housing associations spend resources better than councils, then this data must be put on the table. The fear that ALMOs are repackaged housing associations is appearing to be reasonable.
It's already begun. Secrecy is the key to the power and control of housing associations, and Camden's ALMO is having meetings behind closed doors.
Paddington Churches H.A., who run West Hampstead Housing Association (now Pathmeads), run their management boards in secrecy. The minutes of these meetings are secret and even the agendas.
As far as the new Camden 'shadow' ALMO is concerned, after secrecy, the next sign to watch out for is tenant consultation. This may well get phased down or be redesigned to be ineffective. And after that, we can expect to see financial budgeting which provides for a surplus.
Assuming, if this is wise, that this ALMO is neither a covert defence contractor nor a shadowy agency of MI6, it follows that there can be almost no need for secrecy.
Yours sincerely,
Peter Rutherford
Chair
West Hampstead (Pathmeads) H.A.Tenants'Association (in exile)