London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Sadiq Khan knocks back call for London social housing ‘champion’

Sadiq Khan knocks back call for London social housing ‘champion’

The London Assembly’s cross-party housing committee said a social housing commissioner for the capital would give tenants a louder voice

Renewed calls for the creation of a ‘social housing champion’ for London have been knocked back by Sadiq Khan.

The city’s mayor said he instead wanted to see a similar role created, but covering the whole country, not just London.

The London Assembly’s housing committee have long called for the capital to have its own social housing commissioner, saying that such a figure would give tenants a louder voice on issues affecting the quality and safety of their homes.

But Mr Khan has argued that such a role would only be effective at a national level, and has refused to approve the creation of a London-wide version of the post.

The housing committee - a cross-party body of City Hall politicians, first called for the role’s creation in 2018.

In a new letter to the Mayor, the committee’s Labour chair Sem Moema has made the request again.

She wrote: “As you know, the Grenfell disaster highlighted the importance of the quality and safety of social housing.

“It also served as a powerful reminder of why it is vital that social housing residents are listened to, that they have avenues for raising complaints, and that their landlords are adequately and swiftly responding to their concerns…

Sem Moema, Labour London Assembly Member for Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest - and chair of the Assembly’s housing committee


“A London Commissioner would have experience of living in social rented housing in London, and would use this experience to champion the interests of London’s social tenants… Given the changing nature of London’s housing market, we believe this is still required.”

Responding to the committee’s letter, a spokeswoman for Mr Khan said: “There are no current plans to appoint a London Social Housing Commissioner. Responsibility to improve the standard of existing social housing in London rests with the Government, not the Mayor.

“This is why he has repeatedly called on the Government to find real solutions and push for higher standards in social housing, including appointing an independent national Commissioner, who would sit on the board of the regulator, to ensure the voice of those living in social housing are heard by national policymakers.”

The letter also called for City Hall to encourage social housing providers in London to conduct reviews of their complaints systems, to identify and address any shortcomings.

At a February meeting of the committee, members heard from a panel of speakers - including campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa - about the problems that can affect people in social housing.

The Government has committed to “a programme of reform to improve the quality of social housing”. This includes providing social housing tenants with access to free training and webinars offering advice on their rights and how to hold their landlord to account. The Government is also consulting on whether it could set updated standards, to establish new minimum quality requirements for homes.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
×