Resident Voice Letter

The London Assembly Housing Committee is once again urging the Greater London Authority (GLA) to establish a Social Housing Commissioner for London, to ensure tenant’s rights and interests are at the forefront of housing in London.

The Committee carried out an investigation in February 2023 into the issues faced by housing tenants, particularly around health and safety in following the tragic death of Awaab Ishak in Rochdale in 2020, which was caused by exposure to mould in his home.

Following a 2018 investigation after the Grenfell Tower fire, the GLA was urged to appoint a London Social Housing Commissioner. The Commissioner would be a social housing tenant with lived experience of social housing in London, to champion the rights of tenants across the city.

The Deputy Mayor for Housing, Tom Copley, provided evidence that a London Commissioner would not have the same impact as a national Commissioner, as they would not sit on the board of the Regulator of Social Housing.

However, the benefits a London Commissioner could have in raising the profile and importance of social rented housing in London were highlighted by other panel members.

The Committee has today written to the Mayor urging him to seriously consider appointing a Social Housing Commissioner for London, as well as urging the GLA to make public any social housing providers stripped of their investment partner status as part of the GLA’s Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26, due to violating regulatory standards.