As I am about to start a series of posts looking at the Generation Rent Manifesto, I thought I should start with a short post about the organisation itself.
I have had no personal connection with them, apart from a few tweets from time to time so I am just writing from what I have found on the Internet.
‘Generation rent’ has been a term used for the concept that in the coming years, the emerging generation will, on the whole, be unable to afford to buy their own home and will therefore be forced to rent. Thus being dubbed ‘generation rent’.
This name has now been taken by a policitcal pressure / campaign group Generation Rent, whose purpose is to stand up for and fight for the rights of ordinary people living in rented property.
The Generation Rent people
As an organisation is the sum of its people, let us turn first to the ‘about‘ page and see who Generation Rent are.
They are mostly it appears, people experienced in campaigning, charitable and volunteer organisations of various types and so therefore well placed to lobby the government on tenants rights.
The Board of Trustees comprises a number of respected figures in the housing world. For example Jacky Peacock who is well known for her work for the Brent Private Tenants Rights Group (for which she has recieved an OBE) and Stephen Battersby, author of the Battersby Report published in 2011.
The funding, it appears from text illegibly positioned over a picture on the about page, comes from the Nationwide Foundation whose main benefactor is the Nationwide Building Society.
Verdict
Landlords have two high profile campaigning organisations, the Residential Landlords Association and the National Landlords Association, along with numerous other smaller landlords groups. It is only right that there should be someone speaking up for tenants.
I therefore wish Generation Rent all the best. Watch out for future posts when I will be examining their Manifesto in some detail.
Its refreshing to see Generation Rent Tessa but I sincerely hope it can avoid getting enmeshed in internal politics and infighting which has dogged so many groups in the past.
Political fringe groups often have a habit of inveigling their way into organisations like this and using it as a platform to advance their aims, which gets soooooo frustrating and why I tend to lend a hand but stay out of them as a member.
Fingers crossed and good luck to Jackie who I know to be an able and committed person.
Looking forward to your take on our manifesto Tessa
Alex