We are making it easier for more people who live in council homes to get involved in decisions about council housing. As part of this you can now:
find out about and register for your next local housing forum meeting
nominate yourself to become the chair of your local housing forum
nominate yourself to join the tenants' forum or homeowners' forum.
1. Join in your local housing forum
Our first Local Housing Forum virtual meetings took place in July and were a success with over 200 people taking part. The next round of meetings is taking place in September and anyone who lives in a council home, including council-owned temporary accommodation can now book their space.
When are the meetings and what will be discussed?
The next meetings will take place between 22 and 29 September and topics will include:
There are five different housing forums, each covering a different part of the borough. You can check which housing forum you should attend on our website.
2. Nominate yourself to become your local housing forum chair
By having a resident chair this meeting we will ensure that the meetings cover relevant topics and are shaped by residents for residents. You would need to commit to attend four meetings a year. Experience in chairing meetings is not necessary as training and support will be given. Self nominations need to be received by 10 September.
3. Nominate yourself to represent your housing forum in the tenants' or homeowners' forum.
You can now also nominate yourself to represent your local forum at the new tenants' or homeowners' forum. This might be for you, if you are able to commit to attend about nine evening meetings a year. You don’t need to have previous experience as we will offer free training and support to help you fulfil this role.
New Channel 4 programme ‘Council House Britain’ goes behind the scenes in Southwark
A documentary looking at housing in Southwark starts tomorrow on Channel 4 at 9pm. The six-part series follows Southwark Council officers, and the tenants and leaseholders they work with, in a fly-on-the-wall documentary by the makers of 24 hours in A&E. Officers from housing and pest control feature heavily in the series, all touching on the challenges of helping to manage 55,000 properties in inner London, following years of austerity. Many Southwark tenants and leaseholders also feature, and tell their personal stories about their lives in Southwark, with real passion, humour and emotion. Watch the trailer on YouTube now!
Get a free test as soon as possible if you have coronavirus symptoms (a high temperature, a new persistent cough or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste). You must also must self-isolate, as should members of your household and anyone in your support bubble. A testing centre will be in Burgess Park on various days in September, but you must book online first.
