• Newly-acquired properties enable residents to move from temporary accommodation into permanent homes
Forty-three homeless households will be moving into secure permanent homes thanks to the latest phase of Newham Council’s ambitious acquisitions programme.
The properties, which are in East Ham’s New Market Place development, will be let to households currently living in temporary accommodation (TA) and managed by social landlord Local Space, with rents charged at the Local Housing Allowance rate.
Newham Council has purchased 203 homes since 2022 as part of its strategy to tackle the homelessness crisis by reducing the reliance on costly, nightly-paid accommodation for the borough’s 5,900 households in TA.
Cllr Carleene Lee-Phakoe, Cabinet Member for Housing Needs, Homelessness and Private Rented Sector, said: “Newham is on the frontline of London’s housing crisis, with rising rents and a lack of affordable housing pushing more and more households into homelessness and the uncertainty of temporary accommodation.
“By investing in high-quality acquisitions such as New Market Place, we are providing vulnerable families with the security of a permanent home. We now need the government to step up with the necessary funding and powers to enable us to lift more people out of the misery of homelessness.”
New Market Place resident Glenda said: “Before coming here, my daughter and I have been going from pillar to post. We had to move out of our last place because the landlord wanted it back.
“Now we have this very good flat and we are very happy. My daughter always looks forward to coming home.”
Josie Parsons, Chief Executive Officer of Local Space, said: “In partnership with the London Borough of Newham, Local Space is working hard to deliver new homes to help solve the housing crisis.
“These new lease deals demonstrate our ongoing commitment to providing high-quality, settled accommodation for homeless families in East London.”
The New Market Place homes have been built to a high specification and include appliances such as electric ovens, ceramic hobs, fridge freezers, radiators and door entry systems.
Local Space, which is responsible under the arrangement for carrying out home repairs, collecting rent and managing the residents’ tenancies, has also installed washing machines and window blinds.
Since 2022, Newham Council has purchased properties at:
- Donald Hunter House (80 homes)
- New Market Place, East Ham (43 homes)
- Upton Gardens, Green St (38 homes)
- Whole development at 44-46 Balaam Street, Plaistow (21 homes)
All homes will be made available to households experiencing homelessness at sub-market rent levels (Local Housing Allowance) and leased to a third party to manage.
