Housing is my No.1 priority
East End Life, June 20
I have long championed the need to improve
and build new housing within our borough.
It is the priority for my term as mayor and I am pleased that we
are making good progress in delivering 4,000 new homes and bringing
council homes up to Decent Homes standard.
Decent, affordable housing is the very least we can offer our
families and I’m determined to do everything possible to tackle
overcrowding. I know only too well the impact this has on adult
health and also our children’s learning.
However, we have been increasingly successful in raising funds
to tackle this issue, and last week I announced that despite a
funding shortfall from central government, we are planning to
invest up to £165 million to bring all 8,663 council homes up to
Decent Homes standard by 2015.
This will mean all homes are warm, weather-proof and have modern
kitchens and bathrooms with residents being given real choice on
the improvements.
This week I met residents from Robin Hood Gardens to talk
through exciting plans to transform their area. 1,600 new homes
will be created – more than 250 of which will be family-sized – and
residents have a great opportunity to get involved in designing the
project.
Unfortunately, given our efforts to tackle all forms of
discrimination, I was saddened to hear the English Defence League
is planning a march in our borough.
The EDL seek to stir up trouble and there is absolutely no place
for their divisive agenda here. I will do everything in my power to
prevent them creating the instability they crave.
Our community has always united against attempts to spread hate
and divisiveness: October marks the 75th anniversary of The Battle
of Cable Street where residents told Oswald Mosley and the British
Union of Fascists: “You shall not pass.” I know our community will
come together again to combat any threat to One Tower Hamlets.
Mayor Lutfur Rahman