If you want to see a more stable rental system, and less homelessness, make sure you have your say in the government’s consultation, which closes on 12 October.
The article Time to reform eviction…Read more…
Labour Party Conference 2019: Tuesday #Lab19 (Twitter)
We will only be able to keep global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels if we effect unprecedented transitions in all aspects of society, including energy, land and ecosystems, urban and infrastructure as well as industry’
https://ipc…Read more…
Newham Fabians on local Housing
This evening I came back from attending the Ryanair AGM in Dublin (will post further on this) to go and attend the meeting of Newham Fabians and speak on my role as the Cabinet lead on housing.
More people arrived after the start and it was good to ha…Read more…
Newham Council Housing Liaison Team
For the first time in many years Newham Council tenants and leaseholders now have named officers for all our estates and properties in the borough.
This is a brand new team and I have been on a number of “walkabouts” and resident meetings with them. T…Read more…
Archbishop of Canterbury’s “Housing Crisis” Commission visits Newham
This afternoon I met members of the Archbishop of Canterbury Housing Commission at a building site in Newham where the Council is to build new high quality homes at truly affordable rents. Officers and contractors explained what we are doing with the s…Read more…
Newham Council working with TELCO Citizens on the Housing Crisis
Picture from Tuesday with Newham TELCO Citizens. I first worked with TELCO in the 1990s when my trade union branch, UNISON Tower Hamlets was affiliated and I can remember going on demos and lobbies with them over the London Living wage.
Their twitter …Read more…
To the last 100 years of Council Housing in Newham and the next 100
Last Thursday evening I came back from holiday and went to the 3rd Newham Council Tenants and Leaseholders forum in East Ham Town Hall for Plaistow and Green Street residents.
There was around 50 residents present. Councillor Shaban Mohammed was the l…Read more…
Blog: Fighting for the future of council housing
I was brought up in a council house in inner-city Leeds. I know that council housing is vital to our country’s future, because like millions of people it’s part of my own life story and I know what a…Read more…
Warrior Square Walkabout
Picture college from this morning’s walkabout in Warrior Square, Little Ilford with Councillors and officers from Housing liaison, Caretaking, ASB, Repairs and Technical. Also, a local Police Community Support Officer was in attendance.
I am det…Read more…
Assaults survey: full findings reveal rising abuse of frontline housing staff
“He came right up to me and had his finger within inches of my face – it was awful.”
Alison* is describing an experience she had while working as a frontline housing officer in the North East of England. She was leading a public meeting for her local …Read more…
‘Profoundly disturbing’
A new survey of housing association workers has revealed an epidemic of work-related stress among staff who feel burned out, undervalued and poorly paid. The survey commissioned by Unite of…Read more…
Drakes Walk Walkabout (2)
This is a great picture from this morning of Newham residents, Officers (and myself) at the end of a “walkabout” in Drakes Walk, East Ham.
I am really pleased that the estate is looking far better than it did in March during a previous “walkabout” and…Read more…
The cost of renting in the capital (Newham average rent is 75% of average salary)
Shocking statistics but no surprise. Hat tip @GVKitchen via @HelloHowsy. We need a change of Government, we need this now. Nearly everyone accepts that there is a “Climate Emergency”. There is also a “Housing Emergency”.Read more…
Saints Drive walkabout
Picture college from a recent Saturday morning walkabout in the small, low rise Newham Council estate in Manor Park called Saints Drive. I met local residents, ward Councillors(Cllr Daward and Cllr Patel) and the new (and very pro active) LBN Hous…Read more…
Housing isn’t a crisis, but an emergency
National delegate conference backs a range of approaches to tackle the shortage of affordable housing in a passionate debate
The article Housing isn’t a crisis, but an emergency first appeared…Read more…
UNISON NDC19: Composite E – The Housing Crisis
This is the speech I gave yesterday evening. The debate continues this morning.
“Conference, John Gray, speaking on behalf of the NEC in favour of this composite which quite rightly highlights that the housing crisis is not only the lack of housing – …Read more…
Kent Street ASB, Cleaning & parking Walkabout
weLast Wednesday I took part in a “Walkabout” in Kent Street, Plaistow South ward, West Ham with local Councillors, residents and our new ward based housing officers. There are a lot of problems with Anti-Social Behaviour, parking, communal disrepair a…Read more…
Public money for public housing
Councils need support to rebuild their capacity to meet the country’s housing needs
The article Public money for public housing first appeared on the UNISON National site.Read more…
Local government workers can’t afford to live in the towns they serve
Housing is out of reach for public service workers, declares local government conference
The article Local government workers can’t afford to live in the towns they serve first appeared on the…Read more…
The Great Housing Housing Rip-Off! – When will you be able to buy a home
UNISON have produced here an online calculator (called appropriately https://housingripoff.org/) about how long it would take you to save enough money to buy a home up and down the country.
I now own a 1 bed flat bought in 1989 but on my sub…Read more…