Thanking the Newham Housing Heroes

Yesterday I took part in two Skype meetings with Newham Council Housing Services staff.

There were altogether 230 participants which is nearly half of all our housing staff, not bad considering we run a 24/7 service and many of our front line workers are not office based.

Our interim Housing Director, Darren Levy, led both sessions.

I was invited to speak at both where I thanked all our staff for their hard work and public service during this emergency on behalf of the Mayor and all Councillors.

Our staff have carried out emergency repairs and safety inspections to homes and communal areas throughout the Covid-19 emergency; brought voids back into use for families; transported food to #HelpNewham hubs for distribution to shielding residents; moved around 400 families and individuals from shared accommodation to self contained accommodation where they can self isolate; dealt with a constant flow of new homeless applications day and night; protected private sector tenants from illegal evictions; our concierge workers have kept our tower blocks and lifts clean and personally checked on vulnerable residents; others have been redeployed from normal office hour duties into 24/7 shifts for emergency call outs; been giving advice and support to very worried residents on rents, service charges, allocations, tenancy issues and benefits while working from bedrooms and kitchens at their homes.

There was a wide range of questions to Darren from staff including PPE; what will happen to families in temporary accommodation; Risk assessments; Protection for BME staff from Covid; Newham's role in "track and trace"; Rent arrears; Gas servicing; residents with "No recourse to public funds"; budget cuts due to Covid and modular housing building (and many others).

A line manager did ask what can we do to really thank all the "Housing Heroes" who have gone above and beyond for our residents?

While I want a celebration for all staff once it is safe to do so I suspect that if the Government does the right thing and funds a decent pay rise for all Council staff that this will go down much, much better. 

Newham Walkabouts - Repairs, ASB & Building New Homes

Last week I went on two walkabouts with my Cllr colleague, Shaban Mohammed. First was to Drakes Walk, East Ham where we met up with the local Newham Council Housing liaison officer and a resident concerned about people gaining entry into her housing block to commit ASB as well as her personal outstanding repair issues.  Repair orders have been sent out but I am meeting technical officers next week to see what we can do to make our door entry systems to our housing blocks more secure.

Walking back to East Ham town hall it was good to see the building going ahead on the site of the old Didsbury Centre (top left of collage). Newham Council is building 148 new homes at this site. We are now building new homes across Newham (at least 50% of which will be truly affordable homes set at the London Affordable rent).

Also, on the way back I noticed for the first time that inside the Newham 6th form collegiate centre there is a large plaque dated 1903 marking the founding of building with the names of my Councillor predecessors.

Later that day I went on another walkabout in my own ward in West Ham to decide on the future of a green space which has been used by street drinkers for many years, causing a serious nuisance to residents living nearby. We had present a local concerned resident, Police, Newham Council Community Neighbourhood and Safety officers as well as political leads, Cllr James Beckles and Cllr James Asser.

This green space is right next to West Ham park and 3 options were discussed i) turning it into a community garden but fenced off; 2) building new homes on the site (if possible) or 3) greater enforcement on those individuals causing a nuisance. There was also across the road disused and abandoned garages that need sorting out.

I have emailed regeneration officers details of the site to see if they are interested and we will be holding another walkabout or public meeting in 4 weeks time. 

Unless anyone has got any other good ideas for the site? 

Landlords we want to help you find Newham tenants

In Newham we want to work with good landlords (and prosecute bad ones). Contact the Housing Supply team on 020 3373 1149 if you have a property to let. 

Newham Council Tenant & Leasehold Forum: Plaistow, Boleyn, Green Street & Out of Borough - 10/9/19

"Our next council tenant & leaseholder forum for Plaistow South & Plaistow North, Boleyn, Green Street East and Green Street West & Out of Borough takes places on 10 September – book nowhttp://socsi.in/housingliaison_Ga57B"

Park Road Crime & ASB re-inspection 12.8.19

Last week I went on a second walkabout in Park Road, E6 with Residents, Council Officers, Police and local ward Councillor, Nilufa Jahan. Cllr Jahan had persuaded the Police to send a "design out crime" specialist to the block, who had produced an excellent report on ideas to reduce crime and Anti-social behaviour.

Since the last walkabout in November residents, had said that there had been improvements but more needs to be done. I noted that the communal garden maintenance had not been actioned and I have taken this up.

A report has been circulated on problems and possible actions. Our technical officer thinks that we can implement some of the Police design recommendations fairly quickly, which is very positive news. Especially with regard to improving the security of door entry systems.

Ideally we should visit all blocks across the Council with Police design specialists, residents, ward members and technical officers. We do have some money to make improvements.

It may take some time but watch this space. 

Newham Full Council Meeting 26 November 2018 : Update on Housing Services report

This is my update to Newham Full Council meeting last week in Stratford Town Hall on our Housing Services as the Cabinet lead. I had 3 minutes for the update and I didn't quite get all of this out in the time allowed.

· Newham Council Housing Services will play its part in meeting the Mayor & Labour Group  manifesto commitment to the building of 1000 Council homes at social rent by 2022. Supplementing £107 million of new money secured from Greater London Authority (the most money granted in London) with Right to Buy capital receipts, use of estate land and prudential borrowing.

· When elected the Mayor cancelled the NewShare (equity shared ownership) programme and brought back 30 units due to be sold back into the social rented housing pool, while existing Council housing developments have also been repurposed to maximise affordable homes as far as possible under the previous administration's arrangements.

· A stock condition survey of all Council owned homes is being carried out with a capital investment programme (borough wide planned maintenance and refurbishment) of £120 million to be spent on improving the existing housing stock.

· Despite the steady rise of temporary homeless to a shocking 5100 families, we currently have no families with children in bed and breakfast temporary accommodation. However, we are running out of available self contained homes.

· A complete review of the allocations procedure and the suitability of the homeless offer is underway.

· A brand new team of resident liaison and resident services officers is being recruited and set up this will mean that soon for the first time in many years, Council tenants, leaseholders (and Councillors) will have names and contact details of housing officers responsible for all Newham estates and blocks as a first point of contact.

· These teams are also planning consultation on the rebirth of the Tenant Residents Associations movement in Newham.

· A program of planned inspections and walkabouts across all Newham Council estates involving residents, officers and Councillors is being drawn up.

· The Private Rental Sector (PRS) Licensing scheme will have an expanded staff team to support residents and good landlords by driving out bad landlords. Money from fines will be used by the Council for further PRS improvements.

· I have met with Chief Executives of Housing Associations which operate in Newham and a borough wide forum of Housing Associations, Council Officers and Councillors will be formed in order to drive up housing management standards.

· Fire safety is a priority and there are monthly Newham Council meetings and inspections on this vital issue.

· Recent criminal prosecutions, confiscation and banning orders, which have been publishised should be sending a clear message that Newham Council will (within the law) not tolerate anti social behaviour by anyone who causes misery for our residents.

· The forthcoming Newham Council Corporate redesign will look at the current fragmented nature of Housing Services and come up with possible solutions to make the service more accountable and effective.

Charlbury House Walkabout - 17 July 2018 with local Little Ilford Councillors (Art in Blocks)

Picture collage from this evening when I did a home visit to Charlbury House with local Little Ilford Councillors, Councillor Riaz Ahmed Mirza and Councillor Pushpa Dipaklal Makwana about an ongoing leak in the block affecting a number of flats that needs sorting.

We did a "walkabout" from top to bottom afterwards and around the outside. The block was generally clean and in good repair but I will be making a number of on-line communal repair & cleaning reports via #LoveNewham app and also assist Cllr Mirza in the chase up of the leak.  

I forgot to discuss with the ward Cllrs about "Art in Blocks" but it would appear that there is already a secure notice board (bottom right) that perhaps we can use? 

Newham Full Council Meeting 18 June 2018 - 3 minute update on Housing Services

Picture from the new style Newham Full Council meeting at East Ham Town Hall yesterday evening. The most people I have ever seen at a normal Council meeting I think?

As the Cabinet member of Housing Services I gave a 3 minute report on what I had been doing (see below) and answered 4 written questions from the public. 

"Chair, Like my cabinet colleagues, I have had a busy few weeks going walkabout around Newham estates, blocks, housing schemes and projects; talking to residents, service users, management, officers from the GLA, other councils, the local voluntary sector and front line housing staff about the good and the bad in Newham Housing.

Nearly everyone recognises we have a housing crisis and it is not only a crisis in London but a national crisis up and down the land. 

Yet, in Newham, We have our own challenges and opportunities, including having the longest Council waiting list in London with 26000 households chasing around 570 vacent properties every year. For every single social rent home that comes available, there are 44 households who want a move. 

We also have the highest number of homeless in London and we have thousands of residents in social housing, in the private rented sector and in owner owner occupation, who suffer from overcrowding and poor quality homes.

I have had children taking exams contact me because they have no where to go at home to study and revise. We have grown up children in their 30s and 40s, still living with their parents, not through choice, but because they cannot afford to move out and find their own homes. 

We will continue to campaign and press the Government to work with us to eliminate slum landlords, overcrowding and homelessness, while looking to transform how we deliver housing services in Newham. Residents will be at the heart of this.

In the Autumn, we will start a review from top to bottom of the borough allocations policy and then look at a rebirth of Tenant and Residents representation and participation in our borough 

Following on from the first anniversary of Grenfell disaster, today, I agreed in consultation with the Mayor, to spend £10 million on essential fire safety contracts and to spend a further £10 million on fire safety by end of the financial year. Details to be published. 

We expect the Government to live up to its promises to fully fund these essential fire safety works. Even though the money that they have promised councils so far appears to be inadequate. If we don’t get our money we may have another fight on our hands. 

Thank you Chair.