An ambitious new housing strategy that delivers new homes and refurbishment investment was agreed at Newham Council Cabinet earlier this week.
Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz said; “This is an unashamedly ambitious plan to deliver thousands more homes and provide the housing security that our residents urgently need.
“At the heart of our new housing strategy is the right to access good quality, genuinely affordable council homes. Highlighting how we are beating our target of breaking ground on 1000 new council homes by next year, the strategy sets out eleven core principles that will deliver even more new social rent homes for our people across all our neighbourhoods, with residents fully involved.
“From setting strong commitments in response to the Climate Emergency, to protecting renters’ rights I want Newham residents to know that the Council is here to support them and that we are on their side. We are investing over a billion pounds to deliver the much needed homes our residents can afford.”
The ‘Homes for People: Newham Housing Delivery Strategy 2021 – 2025’, developed following extensive consultation* with residents, commits Newham to build more and better homes for local people – Newham has the second highest number of new homes being delivered of any London borough, with 2,678 delivered over 2018/19.
The strategy puts local people at the heart of housing, making sure that they are involved in the co-design of all development schemes led by the Council. It also highlights progress with Carpenters Estate, the most significant estate restoration programmes in London, including the planned ballot of residents to be held this summer on proposals that have been shaped by local people, and the refurbishment of the James Riley Point tower block, which will deliver 132 social rent homes.
The strategy sets out a massive £96m three-year council homes maintenance programme, starting with a comprehensive stock condition survey, to repair and refurbish homes with the highest levels of safety and sustainability principals applied.
The Council also committed to tackling homelessness and rough sleeping, and reducing the need for temporary accommodation, beginning with investing more than £3 million in a new Homeless Assessment and Shelter facility. An updated Homelessness Strategy will be delivered in December 2021.
In addition, the strategy will create a safer and more secure private sector housing market. By ramping up the Council’s successful private rented sector licensing scheme, making sure that landlords and housing providers who want to work with us, meet our standards and respect renters’ rights, we are working together to meet the borough’s housing needs.
Cllr Shaban Mohammed, cabinet member for Housing Services “Our strategy will improve our existing council homes, ensure all our current property is fit for purpose and deliver more environmentally friendly so our residents have the homes they rightly deserve.
“We will do all we can to prevent and alleviate homelessness with investment in a new centre of excellence to support those who experience street homelessness. Crucially we will be working with all partners to avoid a potential tsunami of evictions as a result of the COVID-19 economic crisis.
“Newham has a bright future and we are working together with residents to improve and invest in the neighbourhoods that they are proud to call home. This strategy will help us deliver these promises.”