Everyone deserves a safe, secure and affordable home

Housing

We are far beyond a housing crisis, with the whole system on the brink of collapse. There is a temporary accommodation crisis leading to people being placed away from home. Many local families are being priced out of the borough altogether, while leaseholders and private renters face spiralling costs and worsening conditions. Too many Hackney residents live in mouldy, cold homes with no hope in sight.

For too long the Council has put the interests of large developers over residents. Council land hasn’t been used for council housing, with luxury flats built at the expense of genuinely affordable housing – like the infill on Frampton Park estate. Council stock is not being increased fast enough or properly maintained.

Greens are prepared to be honest about the extent of the long-term challenge on housing and climate. The same old approaches of state-led gentrification are failing. I will pay attention to what residents value to make spaces, estates and homes which are designed around residents’ needs.

In 2022, there were 8,235 people on Hackney’s waiting list for social housing – and this was after the criteria had been made tighter and lots of people were cut off the list, so we do not know the true levels of need.

Community must be the guiding ethos for housing in Hackney. We need to make places which foster a sense of safety, lasting relationships and leisure.

Younger people need access to affordable housing in their neighbourhoods. Older residents regularly tell me they want to live in mixed communities, where they will be valued, and where they can continue to interact with younger generations and lead meaningful lives. I want to see increased support from the Council for shared housing and co-operative living.

Despite mass construction, the promised number of social homes do not materialise due to viability or lack of sale of private sector houses. I have been calling for a review of this approach (cross-subsidy model), where the Council partners with a developer which builds luxury flats for sale so Council properties can be built. This approach is outdated, gentrifies an area and forces out communities. I commit to exploring every possible alternative.

Councillor Zoë Garbett raises urgent concerns for residents living in mould-infested housing association buildings – gaining attention from the BBC. Her calls have added pressure to the Council and housing associations to take robust action on improving living conditions.

Morning Lane People's Space

Councillor Zoë Garbett has been backing the Morning Lane People’s Space Campaign, listening to what residents want from the Hackney Central Tesco site. The campaign has been holding the Council and developers to account and pushing to put power in the hands of local communities who want more social housing and access to cheap food.

We cannot afford to lose more council homes through demolition. Hackney has one of the worst records in London for demolishing council homes. Demolishing estates is incredibly stressful and disruptive for residents, breaks up communities and is also hugely damaging to the planet by releasing the carbon embedded in concrete.

Currently, only 4 of Hackney’s 313 estates have solar panels. This is not enough in a cost of living crisis and we need action on energy independence which will also address the climate emergency.

The Council needs to take better care of its housing stock so that these homes are of good quality for the people living there now and for future tenants. I will also work with tenants to introduce a standard to provide appropriate accommodation which respects special needs and people’s dignity.

I am committed to establishing a resident-led independent body to ensure that the Council undertakes repairs and retrofits (such as insulating) its properties to tackle dampness and make them more energy efficient, decarbonising them to save residents money and protect the climate.

On the Council, Green councillors continue to demand that the Government takes greater action to support the Council so that it can provide more social housing and meet the needs of local people.

I am committed to putting residents first by:

Providing more social housing to meet the needs of local people. Exploring additional investment from pension funds and borrowing to build social housing.
Prioritising council land for council housing.
Retrofitting instead of demolishing, with absolutely no ‘managed decline’ of estates.
Bringing empty homes back into use through taxation and targeted work.
Using Council investment to buy homes for key workers that also helps raise new money for Council homes.
Creating clear standards to ensure housing associations provide high quality homes.
Reversing cuts to the council housing register so we know what residents need and the scale of demand to be able to advocate for more funding for Hackney.
Redefining Living Rent for Hackney to take into account wage gaps faced by households led by women and people from ethnic minorities.
Increasing the number of homes which are wheelchair-accessible and adapted for disabled people and prioritise these homes for those who need them.
Helping housing costs by looking at topping up discretionary housing payments.
Investigating how the Council can support community-led and co-operative housing in new developments, prioritising community-led over profit-led developments.
Holding landlords and estate agents to account when they illegally discriminate against people such as those in receipt of housing benefit.
Creating tougher standards on short-term rentals, like Airbnb, to move towards a Hackney without buy-to-let and out-of-borough landlords.
Accelerating work to get solar panels on council estates.
Working with partners and doing all I can to prevent homelessness and support people back into housing as soon as possible.
Working to improve temporary housing conditions and working to reduce the amount of time people live there.
Continuing to call on the Government to increase Local Housing Allowance.

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