Ahead of the Government’s Autumn Budget on 22nd November, Leader of Islington Council, Cllr Richard Watts, has written to the Chancellor urging him to help fix the housing crisis Islington faces. 

Cllr Richard Watts said:

“Islington Labour is working hard to make a difference for working people in the borough by tackling the housing crisis.

“That’s why Islington Council is currently delivering the largest building programme of new council homes, prioritised for local people, in the borough for 30 years.

“By 2020, we will have delivered 3,000 new homes for social rent in a decade.

“Despite this, too many people in Islington still cannot get genuinely affordable housing, or are forced to live in overcrowded and insecure homes.

“We need the Government to act in next week’s Autumn Budget to help us tackle the housing crisis by -;

• Allowing the council to build more new council homes.

• Protecting existing council homes.

• Helping us to prevent homelessness.

“I have written to the Chancellor today, urging him to announce measures that will allow the council to do more to make a real difference for local people. You can read my letter here.

“Please add your voice to our calls by tweeting @PhilipHammondUK calling on him to #fixthehousingcrisis. 

“We are committed to making our borough a fairer place for all. To do that we need to be able to tackle the housing crisis head-on.”

Pictured – Cllr Watts on the site of new council homes being built in Islington.