The Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny Commission of Newham Council met on Tuesday 25 November 2025 to discuss strategic housing delivery and the ongoing challenges of temporary accommodation and homelessness prevention. Key decisions included noting the progress of the Affordable Homes for Newham programme, acknowledging the financial pressures and proposed budget realignments, and supporting revised policies aimed at reducing the cost and impact of temporary accommodation.

Strategic Housing Delivery

The Commission received an update on the Council's strategic housing delivery activity, including progress on the Affordable Homes for Newham (AHfN) programme, Populo Living's direct delivery, estate regeneration projects in Custom House, Canning Town, and Carpenters Estate, and the acquisitions programme.

Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, Portfolio Lead for Inclusive Economy, Strategic Housing and Culture, highlighted the administration's commitment to delivering affordable homes, noting that since 2018, over 1,000 new homes had been started, with a further 1,500 targeted by 2026. The AHfN programme, funded by the Greater London Authority (GLA) and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) borrowing, has delivered a mix of tenures and sizes, with a focus on family homes and wheelchair-accessible properties.

Paul Kitson, Corporate Director of Inclusive Economy, Housing and Culture, and Darren Mackin, Director of Community Wealth Building, presented details on the progress of various schemes. Councillor James Beckles, Chair of the Local Development Committee, questioned the certainty of delivering the ambitious number of homes planned for the Carpenters Estate, a £1 billion scheme, given its complexity and cost. Officers assured that delivery would be on a case-by-case basis, with viable business cases required for each phase, and that overall viability would be remodelled annually.

Councillor Danny Keeling, Deputy Leader of the Green Group and Green Group Business Manager, raised concerns about transparency, particularly regarding exempt financial information. Paul Kitson explained that some financial data is kept exempt to protect commercial interests and avoid prejudicing the Council's position in negotiations.

The report detailed challenges faced, including inflationary pressures, market volatility, and construction complexities arising from new building regulations and site-specific issues. For example, the Army and Navy Public House scheme faced delays due to legal challenges, party wall disputes, contaminated land, and issues with electrical substation approvals, leading to a significant increase in its total contract cost. Similarly, the Vandome Close scheme experienced an 18-month delay due to complexities with electrical substation relocation.

The Commission noted that despite these challenges, the Council had achieved significant housing starts, with 1,802 homes delivered across various programmes by August 2025. The report also highlighted the social value generated, including job creation and apprenticeships, and the integration of community facilities within new developments.

Temporary Accommodation and Homelessness Prevention

The Commission also reviewed the Council's approach to temporary accommodation (TA) and homelessness prevention. Councillor Amar Virdee, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Housing Needs, Homelessness and Private Rental Sector, presented the report, emphasising the need to reduce costs and improve outcomes for residents.

The report highlighted the unprecedented pressures on TA, with Newham accommodating approximately 7,500 households in mid-2025. This situation is exacerbated by a national increase in TA use, driven by rising rents, insufficient affordable housing supply, and landlords exiting the market. London boroughs collectively spend around £4 million per day on TA.

To address these challenges, the Council proposed a strategy focused on three key elements: accelerating long-term housing solutions for residents in TA, reducing the cost of TA through renegotiating rental arrangements and shifting to more sustainable models, and revising the Housing Placement Policy.

The revised Housing Placement Policy, detailed in Appendix 1, categorises accommodation offers into three zones: Zone A (within Newham or 30 minutes' travel time), Zone B (within 90 minutes' travel time), and Zone C (over 90 minutes' travel time). Priority for Zone A placements is given to households with specific needs, such as those with children subject to child protection plans or individuals with severe health conditions requiring treatment only available in Newham. Zone B placements are for households with children preparing for exams, those in stable employment, or those interested in moving out of Newham. Zone C is for households where safety concerns make a move outside London preferable, or those not meeting Zone A or B criteria.

Councillor Danny Keeling questioned the effectiveness of the proposed £1.7 million investment in additional staffing for the enhanced Homelessness Response Programme, suggesting that preventative action should be prioritised. Officers responded by outlining the multi-faceted approach, including improved prevention services, which have seen Newham become one of London's top-performing boroughs in homelessness prevention.

Councillor Jennifer Bailey raised questions about the adequacy of resources to handle increased demand, nomination rights from Registered Providers (RPs), and the utilisation of local space. Officers confirmed that efforts were underway to ensure sufficient resources and to scrutinise nomination rights. They also indicated that Local Space, a key vehicle for procuring private rented sector accommodation, was being engaged to help increase supply.

The Commission noted the significant financial implications of TA, with forecasts predicting a continued increase in households requiring accommodation. The proposed measures aim to mitigate these costs and improve the sustainability of the TA service. The report also noted that the Council would be initiating a comprehensive review of its Social Housing Allocations Policy.

The Commission supported the proposed approach to increase the scale of mitigation measures, the revised Housing Placement Policy, and the allocation of up to £1.7 million in additional resources for the enhanced Homelessness Response Programme. They also noted the intention to conduct a review of households in TA and to initiate a review of the Social Housing Allocations Policy.

Other Business

The Commission also reviewed and agreed its work programme for 2025-2026. Apologies were received from Councillor Dina Hossain and Councillor Roshba Makwana. Councillor Tripp was noted as no longer being a member of the Commission. No declarations of interest were made. The minutes of the previous meeting held on 9 September 2025 were agreed.

The next meeting of the Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny Commission is scheduled for 27 January 2026, with topics including the private rented sector and Section 106 agreements.