Gill and I were lucky today to have a perfect warm, sunny spring Sunday to complete this 7.5 mile walk from Shenfield station to Brentwood Station. This was courtesy of this book “Exploring the Elizabeth Line”, which has 23 walks starting (a…Read more…
UniteLive stories of the year – Landmark agreement
Every day over the Christmas period, UniteLive is running a different story from our top stories of 2023. Today, we look back at how Unite achieved a landmark national recognition agreement with housing and social care provider Mears. — Unite signed a landmark national recognition agreement on Tuesday (October 31) with housing and social care […]
The post UniteLive stories of the year – Landmark agreement appeared first on Unite Live.
Inside Housing calls for the next government to “Build Social”
Many will support the new campaign by magazine/social media site “Inside Housing” for the next Government to build more social housing. As a London Councillor and front facing Housing worker, I see pretty much every week the devastation that the …Read more…
Social housing bosses need formal qualifications? Yes but….
Today the Government has announced that it will change the law to make it compulsory for Social Housing Managers to hold formal qualifications in a similar way to social workers and teachers. The reasons given were “both Grenfell and the death of Awaab…Read more…
Developer defends plans to put social homes in blocks serving as a ‘noise buffer’
A dreadful story reported in “Inside Housing”
“Developer Lovell has defended itself after sparking an outcry by describing blocks of flats containing most of a proposed Bristol development’s social homes as a “noise buffer” between industry and other …Read more…
Virtual Cabinet meeting
On Wednesday, Newham Council held its first, totally virtual Cabinet meeting. Unusually Cabinet meetings are held in public but due to COVID-19 the government has allowed Councils to hold “virtual” meetings instead. We have held virtual Cabinet m…Read more…
UNISON calls for safe, decent and affordable homes for all
Union demands a housing policy that works for working people as it publishes a manifesto for a new decade
The article UNISON calls for safe, decent and affordable homes for all first appeared on the…Read more…
Impact investing in Social Housing: An Asset Owner & Landlord Prospective
Last month I was on a panel at a seminar on “social impact investing” in property. In my capacity as a pension trustee seeking long term financial returns and as the lead member for Housing in a Council with a desperate housing crisis.
While the …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…
Why voluntary right to buy for Housing Associations is nuts
So scare government grant is being used to effectively give an existing social tenant a home which will then be lost for ever from social housing instead of being used to help build another social home? This is nuts in a housing crisis.
Hat tip Red Br…Read more…
3m more council homes needed
England needs to embark on the biggest council house building programme in its history if millions of people are to avoid living in unsuitable, cramped or dangerous homes, a cross-party commission…Read more…
Old ladies tell off kids playing in London council estate 1970s
An age old problem. It hadn’t changed that much when I first started working in Council Housing in the early 1990s in Bethnal Green and still goes on in Newham and elsewhere today.
hat tip “From the Kinolibrary Archive Film collections. To order the c…Read more…
‘Pitiful’ social housing plans
The Tories’ new social housing plans have been branded “pitiful” because they contain no new investment to build desperately needed homes. Housing secretary James Brokenshire said the…Read more…
Community Wealth Building Seminar for Labour Councillors 21 July 2018
This well attended seminar sponsored by APSE was excellent. Held in the UNISON centre (HQ) in Euston Road, London.
Speakers Paul O’Brien and Mo Baines, APSE; Neil McInroy CLES, Cllr Matthew Brown, Leader of Preston City Council and Cllr Asima S…Read more…
“Shifting Housing’s Overton Window”
Another great article by stevehilditch on Redbrick (even though I had to Google “Overton Window”)
“It’s a sign of a remarkable comeback for social housing that the new CIH report ‘Rethinking Social Housing’ contains few surprises. Only 3 years ag…Read more…
“Mayor unveils first members of Cabinet”
The last 8 years as a backbench Newham Councillor has been a fantastic experience and a real honour to serve my constituents. It has been “difficult” at times but I have enjoyed nearly all of it.
Yesterday evening it was officially confirmed that I ha…Read more…
“Cllr Rokhsana Fiaz promises council transparency and affordable housing if elected as Newham mayor”
Newham Councillor Rokhsana Fiaz was selected last night by a Labour Party interview panel comprising West and East Ham CLP Executive Officers and London Labour Board members as the only candidate to take on long time incumbent, Robin Wales, to be our n…Read more…
25% so-called “Affordable” Housing is not enough! West Ham Branch Labour Canvass & Petition about former Ford Car showrooms development.
Picture collage from last Sunday when I was with Cllr John Whitworth and a West Ham CLP Labour team campaigning in my ward, West Ham. We were again asking for signatures for a branch petition calling for more social housing on the proposed development …Read more…
‘Homelessness is a national crisis’
Homelessness is a “national crisis” and the Tories are “unacceptably complacent” about tackling it, a cross-party committee of MPs said today (December 20). A public accounts committee (PAC)…Read more…
Petition To Newham Council: Affordable Housing levels at former Ford Motor Showroom in Plaistow Road.
This petition is being supported by West Ham Labour Party ward. It is really positive that the branch is leading a campaign by local residents to ensure that regeneration projects comply at least with our own Borough targets for social housing.
W…Read more…