New Era Estate

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I have been working with residents of the New Era Estate for over two years since the previous private landlord first tried to sell their homes.

Back in 2012 I organised a meeting for all tenants to discuss what we could do and encouraged them to form a tenants association and arranged a meeting with a representative of the Hackney Crown Estate campaign to help them develop a New Era campaign.

The local housing associations were outbid and the eventual sale went through earlier this year. I immediately arranged a meeting with tenants and asked the new management, the Benyon Estate, to attend so that tenants could put their questions and concerns directly. I also arranged for advice and support on housing rights and access to housing benefit to be available to tenants individually.

The current law gives these long standing tenants (unless they are regulated tenants) no more rights than someone who has lived in a home for 6 months. This has to change.

I urged the Benyon Estate to work to deliver as much affordable housing on site as possible. There were plans to deliver this which, subject to planning permission, would have delivered some affordable social rented housing on site. I will be pressing the new owners on these plans now that the Benyon Estate is letting go its interest in the estate.

I will continue to work with the local ward councillors and cabinet member to ensure the best outcome.

Now that The Benyon Estate has pulled out of the management of New Era, I am very worried about the current predicament of those living on the New Era estate.

I am seeking urgent meetings with the new management of the estate and will continue to work with New Era's tenants, their local councillors and Hackney Council.

There is an acute shortage of affordable housing throughout London and the South-East. It is vital that more social housing is built and also that private renters are offered longer and more secure tenancies with better protection against eviction and high rent rises.

19 November 2014. Update:

Today I met with Westbrook Partners to urge them to honour the promises made to residents of the New Era Estate and to support their tenants. As with Knight Frank yesterday, I urged them to be clear with tenants about their future plans.

Although no solution has yet been reached, I will continue to fight for residents of the New Era Estate, working closely with Hackney Council, and will meet with Westbrook again as soon as possible.

18 December 2014. Update:

I continue to make enquiries on this matter and am doing all I can to help New Era’s residents. Westbrook Partners are not currently evicting tenants or even beginning the process of doing so. I will continue to work with the residents and very much hope that a positive solution can be found.

I’ve also written an article for the social housing website, 24Dash. The article focusses on the wider issues that the case of the New Era estate raises. it can be found here.

19 December 2014. Update:

Westbrook Partners has sold Hoxton’s New Era estate to affordable housing provider, Dolphin Square Foundation.

The new landlord is pledging affordable rents and no change during 2015. Congratulations to residents who fought hard for their homes and families with true Hoxton spirit.

The residents are now looking forward to a peaceful Christmas and starting discussions with their new landlord.

I will continue to fight for more housing for local people and for rent regimes that reflect what people can pay.

We need to make sure that London’s key workers, people on moderate incomes who work to keep our city going, can live in our city.