New housing hub opens

DEAN ARMOND

Newham’s plans to give people with housing problems more face time were boosted recently with the opening of a second Housing Service Hub in Canning Town.

The provision and maintenance of housing has always been central to the vision of Newham Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz and on Monday 30 January she launched the latest Council initiative when she opened the Housing Services Hub at Ferrier Point, in Forty Acre Lane. Housing Services Cabinet member Shaban Mohammed and several local Councillors also attended.

The hub is the second office opened – the first was in the Broadway in Stratford – and gives residents the chance to meet someone face to face to discuss their housing issues.

Housing Services have long made resident engagement a high priority, beginning with the creation of the Housing Liaison Officers who allow residents to talk directly to a Council Officer about Housing issues and concerns.

This was followed by the Estate Community Fun Days which have now become an annual event. Housing Services host these events on a number of estates to allow residents to meet Housing Officers and colleagues from other departments in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.

Building on these successes, the creation of Housing Hubs is the latest development in the direct delivery of Housing Services to residents, ensuring that personal contact is available at locations convenient for local communities.

The Housing Hubs act as a ‘One Stop Shop’ where residents can meet Officers to discuss their housing issues in person.

Following the success of the first Housing Hub in Stratford, where more than 2,000 council tenants and leaseholders visited in the first 12, the second continues a process of making housing services more easily accessible to more residents across the Borough. Q