Annual Report 2008

Quality, Affordable Housing

Giving everyone a range of options so they are able to live in high quality, attractive housing in decent neighbourhoods is key to improving the quality of life in Hackney. Since 2001, the borough has consistently exceeded London Plan targets for affordable housing. In 2006, it secured the largest nationally-funded investment programme in the capital for new affordable homes. Building work recently started on the £1 billion Woodberry Down estate regeneration programme, one of the Government’s Mixed Communities Demonstration projects, set to provide more than 4,500 new mixed-tenure homes.

The Council’s landlord service has also continued to improve, with repairs and empty property reletting times now matching the top 25% of council housing landlords in London. We have increased choices for those in need of housing through the successful roll-out of the Choice Based Lettings Scheme.

During the next year, we will be working with Hackney Homes to help them secure the investment they need to bring the remainder of the Council's stock up to the Government decent home standards.

New investment 07/08:

• Decent homes: a further 700 Council homes were made decent, which means 56% of the Council's stock now meets the Government's standard.
• Affordable homes: through our housing association partners over 600 new homes for rent and shared ownership were built, with over half those for rent having three or more bedrooms to help tackle overcrowding.
• Accessible houses: we provided grants for disabled residents in the private sector to adapt homes to make them easier to live in.

08/09

• At least another 600 affordable homes for rent and shared ownership will be completed.
• We will continue offering assistance and grants to disabled residents, and to offer ‘choose and move’ schemes to relieve overcrowding.

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Page updated: 27 Jun 2008