Having served the area long-term as a resident, elected member and campaigner, penning my inaugural Hackney Gazette column as Leader of Hackney represents a genuine honour – and the inaugural one for the Green Party.
I take immense pride in Hackney’s trust in me, with the Green Party securing comprehensive governance of Hackney Council for the first occasion.
Since that point, we have moved swiftly into action.
Our efforts involve converting a vacant local authority-owned property into a fresh fitness facility for local people – the inaugural element of our Who Owns Hackney research project intended to provide spaces for our communities.
We are accelerating maintenance work, including deploying unmanned aircraft to minimise the intrusive scaffolding on council estates which inhabitants have highlighted as interfering with their routines.
Furthermore, we have established a £3.5 million fund to address living expenses, designed to assist households on modest incomes through Hackney’s outstanding charitable bodies.
My focus is on addressing the inequality that has caused numerous Hackney inhabitants to be left in difficult circumstances.
Much of this stems from the housing shortage our city currently endures.
My objective is straightforward: a Hackney where our communities can manage to remain.
Above 40 percent of Hackney inhabitants experience deprivation.
Households encounter among the lengthiest queues for social accommodation.
We require substantially more affordable social housing urgently, and must guarantee that construction firms create truly affordable residences.
Instead, we witness London’s Mayor pursuing the contrary direction – reducing benchmarks and excusing developers from obligations.
This explains why, jointly with Lewisham and Tower Hamlets councils and backed by boroughs throughout the capital, I have initiated judicial proceedings to prevent London’s Mayor’s schemes to permit developers to lower the proportion of affordable residences in fresh developments to as minimal as 20 percent, reduced from 35 percent.
London’s Mayor no longer has a ring of authorities prepared to approve every development choice he favours.
In Hackney, residents now possess a leader who will champion affordable housing.
Furthermore, with those renting privately remitting excessive rents to property owners who mistreat their tenants, I have spoken out to urge national administration to support rent controls, allocate resources for a fresh batch of council homes, terminate unjust leasehold arrangements, and cease disposing of council homes via Right-to-Buy.
Following years of insufficient investment in social housing – whilst considerable sums of public money flow directly to private landlords – residents desire an administration that enhances their daily existence.
As your leader, I shall persist until this transpires.