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Sadiq Khan unveils panel to tackle London’s ‘unacceptable’ housing problems
London mayor Sadiq Khan has invited 15 not-for-profit groups onto a new panel to help tackle the capital’s “unacceptable housing problems”.
The London Housing Panel, which consists of campaign groups and charities, will discuss issues such as estate regeneration, reforming the private rented sector and students’ experience of housing.
Charity Trust for London, which has jointly established the panel with City Hall, said the focus will be to “engage with housing issues facing London”. The panel will then help advise the mayor’s officials on housing policy.
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Raji Hunjan, chief executive of anti-poverty charity Zacchaeus 2000 Trust, will chair the panel.
She said: “The 15 organisations represented on this panel work to empower communities and individuals who have faced unacceptable housing problems which include poor conditions, discrimination and unaffordable rent.
“As chair, I am looking forward to using our collective knowledge and diversity of expertise to influence the mayor’s housing policies.”
Trust for London said James Murray, London’s deputy mayor for housing and residential development, will attend the panel meetings “if invited to do so”.
Mr Murray has “regularly” met tenants, campaigners and other Londoners to help inform policy on housing issues, according to the mayor’s office.
He said: “Over the past three years, our housing policies have benefited greatly from having involved tenants, campaigners and other Londoners in developing them.
“We look forward to continuing this approach through the new London Housing Panel and making sure our housing policies are always developed with the input of Londoners themselves.”
In March, Mr Khan was forced to defend his record on affordable housing starts in the capital.
The panel is due to meet for the first time on 25 June, then on two other occasions this year.
The Greater London Authority and Trust for London will fund the panel “this financial year”, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office told Inside Housing.
Along with Ms Hunjan, the members of the London Housing Panel are:
- Camden Community Law Centre
- Disability Advice Service Lambeth
- Action on Empty Homes
- Generation Rent
- Homeless Link
- Just for Kids Law, with Children’s Rights Alliance for England
- Kineara
- Leasehold Knowledge Partnership
- London Federation of Housing Co-operatives
- London Gypsies and Travellers
- London Tenants Federation
- New Horizon Youth Centre
- Solace Women’s Aid
- The Connection at St. Martin-in-the Fields
- Tonic Living
