Margaret Mullane calls for new affordable and sustainable homes

Margaret Mullane has recently called for an increase in the availability of new affordable and sustainable homes.  Many people take for granted being able to afford a home in which you feel secure and comfortable because we are fortunate enough to be in that position. Unfortunately, for millions of people in Britain this is not the case, and the situation has worsened over the past decade in areas like Dagenham and Rainham.

More than 5000 cases have been processed by Margaret and her team since being elected in July 2024, with housing being the largest and one of the most heart-breaking issues that constituents face. In the local authorities within Margaret's constituency – Havering and Barking & Dagenham – huge numbers of local families have been made homeless and are now in temporary accommodation.

In England today there are over 350,000 people in all forms of temporary accommodation, including 164,000 children. On top of that, recent research shows that children who have been in temporary accommodation get lower grades in their GCSEs than their classmates, potentially blighting their futures.

The lack of truly affordable homes has far-reaching implications that touch all our lives. The teaching unions, Royal College of Nursing, police, firefighters and many other key workers testify to the depth of the housing crisis as organisations try to recruit and retain staff in these essential services.

Margaret Mullane commented "It’s not much use advertising jobs in your school or at the hospital if the person offered the post can’t afford to buy or rent privately anywhere" and "to think of the essential workers we need to provide services in our hospitals, schools, police or fire brigade, as well as the housing prospects of your children and grandchildren."

This mess is the result of the disastrous housing policies of recent years. The answer is more council-built homes at social rent levels that are truly affordable for local people in modestly paid jobs.

Building homes is crucial, but there must be equal emphasis on creating sustainable, thriving communities where families choose to put down roots for their future. Alongside the new homes must come the essential GP surgeries, school places, good quality public realm with green spaces and access to public transport services.