TWCP has successfully applied for funding, in the form of an adviser from Community Led Housing London (Rowan Mackay) to work with residents to look at one of the most pressing issues of our time: genuinely affordable housing. This time we have a clear solution in mind – using sites locally for building property that can be community owned and community-led.

We know also that the council and Greater London Authority (GLA) are keen to promote similar innovation to empower residents, so this feels like pushing at an open door.

According to Trust for London the borough has worse than average rates of evictions, homeless acceptances and temporary accommodation rates in comparison with other London boroughs and despite a programme of 50,000 new housing units, only average housing delivery at present.

We will be working with our CLH adviser to continue our listening campaigns, researching the local need and aim to bring our findings together in a brief report of resident testimony on housing needs. We will then form a resident steering group to make a proposal to develop a specific site. Hopefully our proposal is successful, leading to further funding to enable us to develop a site in partnership with local partners such as the council (Be First) and GLA.