The Labour administration in Hackney has today announced that it’s cabinet member in charge of housing will resign from the role, following calls from Green councillors for him to step down.
Cllr Clayeon McKenzie, who represents Hoxton West, has been in the role, as cabinet member for housing services, for nine years, and will be replaced by Cllr Guy Nicholson, a Homerton councillor.
This comes following calls from the Green group of councillors in the borough for McKenzie to resign due to the council having repeatedly failed Hackney’s tenants.
On the resignation Green Councillor Alastair Binnie-Lubbock said: “It has been clear for a long time that Hackney's housing services have been failing residents.
We expect that the report from the Housing Ombudsman due to be published soon will be damning.”
Residents in several estates across Hackney, including Pitcairn House and Exbury House, have long reported suffering under disrepair, accessibility issues and unsanitary conditions.
In her statement on the change in responsibility, Mayor Caroline Woodley blamed the previous governments years of failed policy.
Woodley said: “Across the country, housing and children’s services have seen first hand the consequences of the previous government’s failed policies, which have resulted in increasing levels of need in our communities and huge pressures on public services.
“It is imperative to respond to these challenges in a way that best serves the residents of Hackney. I am therefore announcing a series of changes in how the Council is administered.”
You can read the full statement from Cllr Binnie-Lubbock below:
“Hackney Greens are glad to see new leadership on Hackney housing services following our call for Cllr McKenzie to step down last year.
“We wish Cllr McKenzie well and thank him for his years of service in a challenging role. It has been clear for a long time that Hackney's housing services have been failing residents. We expect that the report from the Housing Ombudsman due to be published soon will be damning. We have witnessed residents living in appalling conditions and housing that risks the health of their families. Repairs works are often incomplete and require multiple visits.
"We remain concerned that the pace of retrofit, to help save residents money on heating, is just too slow. The new head of housing service improvement has a huge task ahead, which includes salvaging the target of net zero housing by 2040. This task will be all but impossible if Labour pushes ahead with proposed cuts to the housing budget. To fix a leaky roof or a failing service you need more investment not less. Residents are now expected to pay for historic mismanagement with increased service charges.
“Overall responsibility falls to the Mayor we look forward to a statement from Mayor Woodley about what her new vision for housing improvement will be with this change of personnel.”