ONE YEAR AFTER THE COPPER BOX PROGRESS SINCE THE
MAYORAL ASSEMBLY IN APRIL 2016
2
INTRODUCTION
4
HOUSING
11
LIVING WAGE
13
YOUTHÂ EMPLOYMENT
14
CITIZENSHIP & INTEGRATION
6000 London Citizens assemble at the Copper Box arena 7 days before Mayor Sadiq Khan's election in 2016
1
INTRODUCTION
Matthew Bolton Lead Organiser,
As London Citizens, our mission is to build powerful communities who work together for the common good. Our membership of over 200 schools, colleges, churches, mosques, synagogues, charities, unions and hospitals reaches over 350,000 Londoners. In every single one of those communities, there are people who are experiencing the suffering and worry of poor housing, low pay and other social injustices. For us, the London Mayoral election last year was an opportunity to participate in the democratic process and to tackle some of those problems by building a working relationship with whoever was elected Mayor. A year of listening and hard work culminated in that memorable evening when over 6,000 of us gathered in the Copper Box arena and secured public commitments from the candidates on our priorities: Housing, Living Wage, Youth Employment and Citizenship & Integration. Since Mayor Sadiq Khan was elected a year ago, we’ve been delighted to work with him and his team to make an impact on these areas of common concern, as well as continuing to campaign locally on these and other issues. This report summarises the progress made so far in the manifesto we launched at the Copper Box with the Mayor of London, including big steps forward on affordable housing, the Living Wage, and citizenship. Yet, this report doesn't scratch the surface of the amazing array of action this last year at a neighbourhood level on refugees, street safety, health and more. We’ve still got a long way to go and as ever need the efforts and energy of our members to help move these campaigns forward. Let's keep going! May 2017
2
London Citizens leaders welcome Mayor Sadiq Khan outside City Hall on the 1st day of his administration
LONDON CITIZENS BUILD A WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MAYOR
London Citizens leaders meet Mayor Sadiq Khan and his mayoral team formally on the 67th day of his administration
HOUSING: OUR STORIES FROM THE ASSEMBLY "I was eight years old when we first had to move, because we couldn't afford to stay anymore. We've moved five times now." - Dylan
"Community Land Trusts make me hopeful for my children and my grandchildren." Mtr. Joyce
"The dream of providing a secure and decent home for my family is out of reach. This is our home. This is our city. We should be able to stay" - Nina 6 4
HOUSING: GOOD DEVELOPMENT STANDARD SUMMARY OF ASKS We would like the next Mayor of London to back our ‘Good Development Standard’ (GDS), which includes: - A target of 50% affordable housing - Public viability assessments - Local people to get priority access - Estate regeneration to include a ‘right to return’ To work with us to deliver developments that meet the Good Development Standard across the capital. Only provide GLA funding to schemes that meet the Good Development Standard.
MAYORAL COMMITMENT IN 2016 I’ll include the Good Development Standard in the London plan. Yes, I’m committed to 50% of new homes we build being genuinely affordable. Londoners to get first dibs. I’ll partner with London Citizens to get the same standards in more private developments. Estate regeneration schemes can only go ahead with the consent residents, right to return. Yes, I’ll open up viability assessments.
PROGRESS IN 2017 The Mayor has moved swiftly for a minimum of 50% affordable in new developments on GLA land including Old Oak Common and Transport for London sites. There is also a new Housing Affordability Supplementary Planning Guidance in progress that will require any development with less than 35% affordable to go through a rigorous public viability assessment at City Hall. The Mayor would then use public funds to move from 35% towards 50%. This would transform the London housing market and London Citizens have made public their support with Deputy Mayor for Housing, James Murray (pictured).
5
On estate regeneration, London Citizens has input into the Mayor’s new ‘Principles for Estate Regeneration’ including a visit by GLA officers to our pioneering North Kensington housing campaign.
WHAT'S NEXT? London Citizens launched a developer league table ranking the house-builders by % affordable and took action at the April Taylor Wimpey AGM asking them to commit to a minimum of 35%, (league table & photos below) and we will continue to push this call for developer responsibility. Organise communities and campaign around major developments on the Olympic Park, Old Oak Common, as well as in Tottenham, Peckham and Kidbrooke for the Good Development Standard.
6
HOUSING: COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS SUMMARY OF ASKS We would like the next Mayor to back Community Land Trusts (CLTs) as a way of providing genuinely and permanently affordable home ownership, including: - Back CLTs and include them in the London Plan - Facilitate the growth of CLTs by setting up a community housing unit and having a ‘presumption in favour of communities’ on public land - Deliver 1,000 CLT homes in London by 2020 and 5,000 by 2025
MAYORAL COMMITMENTS IN 2016 Committed to working with the Councils that are trail-blazing this model, as well as working with London Citizens to promote this model and spread it elsewhere. I’ll work to make sure all the Local Authorities start thinking about doing it. Homes for Londoners will take forward this and work with partners to build on this positive movement. We should be more ambitious than that [building 1000 CLTs].
7
PROGRESS IN 2017 The Mayor’s Office has encouraged us to engage in the Transport for London ‘small sites programme’ to see whether some of them could become CLTs, and to make applications to the GLA Housing Innovation Fund to support CLTs. London Citizens in partnership with Lewisham and Southwark submitted a £1.3m bid to GLA Innovation Fund for CLT homes, and we have campaigns for CLTs active in 9 London boroughs, including Redbridge where 250 CLT homes have been pledged. (Redbridge campaign, pictured below)
WHAT'S NEXT? Continue to campaign locally across London for more CLT homes, ensuring permanent and genuine affordability.
8
HOUSING: LONDON LIVING RENT SUMMARY OF ASKS We would like the Mayor to back the London Living Rent, including: - Back the London Living Rent, including it in the next London Plan - Deliver over 10,000 London Living Rent homes in London by 2020 - Only provide GLA funding to schemes with affordable housing linked to incomes
MAYORAL COMMITMENTS IN 2016 This is one of my key manifesto pledges and I’m glad to have it in common with London Citizens. I’ve committed to introduce London Living Rent – set at 1/3 of local average income. I want to see thousands of them built. I look forward to working with London Citizens as a partner in delivery
PROGRESS IN 2017 The Mayor’s Office has set a London Living Rent levels for every neighbourhood in the capital, based on a third of average local household incomes and number of bedrooms in each home, and is including this housing type in their plans and site specifications. The first London Living Rent homes were completed in May 2017.
WHAT'S NEXT? Encourage Local Authorities to support the Living Rent including at the Local Elections in 2018.
9
HOUSING: ROGUE LANDLORD TASKFORCE SUMMARY OF ASKS We would like the Mayor to set up a Rogue Landlord Taskforce, naming and shaming bad landlords, with a Deputy Mayor to lead the work.
MAYORAL COMMITMENTS IN 2016 I am right with London Citizens on this agenda. We will name and shame rogue landlords and make sure tenants have access to information. A Deputy Mayor will make sure we hold private landlords to account and raise the quality of accommodation.
PROGRESS IN 2017 Mayor’s Office is launching a ‘name and shame’ criminal landlord online database in Autumn 2017.
WHAT'S NEXT? Run ‘housing rights’ workshops in our member communities to equip people with the knowledge to stand up to bad landlords. Find examples of rogue landlords and push for their appropriate punishment, including naming and shaming. Support landlord registration schemes through participation in consultations.
10
LONDON LIVING WAGE SUMMARY OF ASKS We would like the next Mayor to: - Implement the recommendations of the Living Wage Commission - Champion the Living Wage and make it a consideration across GLA commissioning, purchasing, planning and freehold - Personally launch Living Wage Week every year; commit communication resources of the GLA including TfL hoardings, and bring employers together in target sectors
MAYORAL COMMITMENTS IN 2016 I will strive to make London a Living Wage City. I give the Living Wage Commission my support as long as it reflects housing costs. I will use all levers I can, above all procurement, to push the Living Wage. If you want to do business with me, you must pay Living Wage. I will establish a new team in the Mayor’s Office dedicated to promoting fairness including the Living Wage. I want to hear ideas from London Citizens and work together to make poverty wages thing of the past. I will use business rate incentives. I commit to launching Living Wage week each year and explore how best to use resources.
PROGRESS IN 2017 Mayor’s Office and London Citizens partnered on Living Wage Week. (pictured below) Living Wage Week advertised on TfL hoardings in stations and trains.
11
Mayor’s Office adopts Living Wage Commission recommended calculation method. Deputy Mayor Joanne McCartney joins Living Wage Commission, and speaks at London Citizens event with Southwark Business Improvement District (BID). (pictured right) The Mayor has called out the capital’s football clubs and encouraged them to pay the Living Wage.
WHAT'S NEXT Continue to campaign for Living Wage in football clubs, on the South Bank, and around the Olympic Park. Work with the Mayor’s Office on including the Living Wage in the Mayor’s Business Compact.
12
YOUTH EMPLOYMENT SUMMARY OF ASKS We would like the next Mayor to give every 16-18 year old in London access to good quality work experience by financing the development of partnerships between schools and colleges and growth sector employers.
MAYORAL COMMITMENTS IN 2016 Restoring opportunity for young people at heart of agenda. Skills for Londoners will be set up to deliver training, mentoring, proper work experience and high quality apprenticeships. Absolutely I will work with London Citizens on this.
PROGRESS IN 2017 Mayor launches Skills for Londoners Taskforce in April 2017. Our Good Jobs Campaign has created 4 high-quality training programmes created with Atkins, OMD International, Wieden + Kennedy, JP Morgan, University College London Hospital Trust and Barts NHS Health Trust. 40 young people have been trained and at the end of the first year, 52 young people secured work experience, paid internships and apprenticeship opportunities with partner employers.
WHAT'S NEXT? Work with Skills for Londoners to see them support innovative partnerships between businesses and education institutions. Recruitment for our Good Jobs Campaign's second cohort is underway. In our third year, we are focused on growing the number of young people who get access to these training opportunities by raising money to invest in our operations and our model and collaborating with new employer partners.
"My friends are finding it difficult to find relevant jobs and work experience, whilst businesses have difficulty finding young talent" - Tammy 13
CITIZENSHIP & INTEGRATION SUMMARY OF ASKS We are asking the next Mayor of London to appoint a Deputy Mayor for Citizenship and Integration whose role would be to encourage and enable young Londoners to register as citizens, and ensure the capital resettles our share of a larger overall target for refugee resettlement aiming at 10 families per borough per year over 5 years.
MAYORAL COMMITMENTS IN 2016 I will personally work to promote citizenship and ensure all can participate in our democracy and society. I’ll work with Councils and others to ensure we stand ready to welcome refugees. Absolutely I’ll work with London Citizens to help the 100,000 young Londoners who don’t have status.
PROGRESS IN 2017 Mayor’s Office appointed new Deputy Mayor for Social Integration, Matthew Ryder. London Citizens is working in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Citizenship and Social Integration; we have seconded one of our Organisers to work in the team part-time on this exact campaign.
WHAT'S NEXT? Work with our member schools and colleges to develop a pioneer group of education institutions in London ready to respond to this challenge and support young people to secure permanent residency and citizenship.
14
"There are thousands of gifted young Londoners like myself who are not being allowed their legal right to citizenship" Ijeoma
NEW CAMPAIGNS:
SEXUAL HARASSMENT / YOUTH VIOLENCE / HATE CRIME As new concerns arise from our membership, the working relationship with the Mayor’s Office means we can raise them with the right people. So far, these have included important concerns around safety and policing.
PROGRESS IN 2017 Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Sophie Linden met with London Citizens at Middlesex University to discuss a proposed new Policing and Crime Plan for London (pictured below). Leaders presented their research on student experiences of sexual harassment, asked to designate misogyny as a hate crime, and discussed hate crime and knife crime. The Deputy Mayor agreed to work with London Citizens on youth violence in time to have some input into the final report which is to be published at the end of July; to meet annually with key London Citizens community leaders to review issues and recommendations relating to hate crime; and to meet with London Citizens in a year’s time to report back on progress on the Policing and Crime Plan for London. London Citizens leaders also met with Jain Lemon, Head of the Violence Against Women and Girls Team at the Mayor’s Office of Policing and Crime to discuss the designation of misogyny as a hate crime.
WHAT'S NEXT? London Citizens to continue organising around issues of sexual harassment, youth violence and hate crime, have follow-up meetings with Deputy Mayor Sophie Linden.
15