Newham Housing Special on Community Radio "Revive FM 94.0"

This afternoon I was interviewed live on "Revive FM 94.0" by my radio host colleague, Shaban Mohammed & community activist, Armond Dean, on Newham Council Housing Policies.

It was a really good discussion on the housing crisis in Newham and what we are doing to address it and what we need to do to solve it.

• Under Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz we are building more Council homes at Council rents in her 4 year term than in the previous 50 years. A 1000 homes. 

• We have restarted Tenants and Leaseholders representation and participation in Newham 9 years after it was dismantled. Local TRAs will decide on a spend of £1 million a year on local projects. 

• We now have a named housing officer for every home, block and estate in Newham.

• We are planning to reopen Housing offices in Newham for vulnerable residents to able to have face to face contact with officers. 

• We will be spending £120 million in planned improvements on our estates including new roofs, door entry systems, kitchens and bathrooms, improving energy efficiency and designing out crime. 

• We will reverse the years of under investment in preventing rough sleeping and homelessness. 

However, while this is truly transformational for those 1000 families who will get decent homes, we need the Government to fund us to build 27000 homes for all those on our Council waiting list and in Housing need. 

ReviveFM 94.0 - Poverty in Newham (and what the Council is doing about it)

Yesterday, in between campaigning for the European elections, Newham Council Cabinet lead for Finance, Cllr Terry Paul and myself were interviewed live on Community Radio, ReviveFM 94, which is based in Forest Gate, Newham.

Our interviewer was our Council Cabinet Colleague, Cllr Shaban Mohammed, who was assisted by local researcher, Armond Dean.

We discussed poverty in Newham and what the Council is doing to tackle it. We have the lowest average income in London, 28 000 families on our Council House waiting list and over 5000 families who are homeless. We have 50% more children living in temporary accommodation in our borough than in the entire north of England!

Since May last year a new Labour administration led by directly elected Executive Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz, has introduced anti poverty measures such as paying all our workers a London Living wage (with pay rises of up to £100 per week/£5000 per year); reducing Council tax for the poorest by 50%; building 1000 Council Homes at Council rents; ensuring that 50% of new developers homes charge a social rent; spending £120 million on improvements to our Council Housing stock: stop the privatisation of our Council services; introduce Community Wealth Building and tackle violence against our young people.

We did point out that while we can (and have and will do more) do many progressive things as a local authority to counter poverty in our borough, we need a change of our national Government and the election of one prepared to truly eliminate it.

Many thanks to Cllr Mohammed for organising and leading the discussion. Next Thursday he will have Newham Council Cabinet lead for Sustainable Transport and Parking, Cllr Zulfiqar Ali.