Margaret Mullane MP is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Healthy Homes and Buildings. On Tuesday 10 December 2024 she made the following contribution.
The provision of a good quality, well maintained and secure home is not just a housing issue, it is a precondition for good health outcomes and the foundation for communities to thrive. There is a wealth of research into the link between poor quality housing conditions, health, and education but less so on the link between housing conditions and crime. However, we do know that there is a link between deprivation and increased offending and anti-social behaviour.
Millard Terrace, a flatted estate above Dagenham Heathway’s shopping mall in my constituency is a prime example of this link. A mix of council tenants, renters and leaseholders live on the estate. Redevelopment is on the horizon, albeit very far off, which has meant little by way of investment to improve the lives of those that live there.
Dilapidated communal areas have now become home to prolific drug dealing and prostitution, and there is a distinct sense of lawlessness on the estate. It made national headlines last month and was referred to as “Britain’s worst estate.”
Neglect, and the “broken-window” analogy can explain much of this and councillors have long campaigned for investment, regeneration and security measures to improve the standard of living. When people feel proud of where they live, we find a greater sense of community.
The Becontree Estate, also in my constituency is still regarded as one of the most ambitious council housing projects in the world. Purpose built during the interwar period, homes had front and back gardens, parking space, leisure facilities, indoor toilets, social clubs, and pubs designed into the community and many of the residents had good quality jobs at Dagenham’s Ford factory. It was an example of sustainable place-making long before the term was coined.
The Becontree Estate was an example of what lifting people out of poverty, and overcrowded slum conditions, rife with crime in the east end of London, can achieve.
Yet just over 100 years on from the first family moving into the Becontree Estate, and 44 years on from the introduction of Right-to-Buy, the estate is now a mix of HMOs, and renters on short term tenancies, with a small amount still owned by the council. It is a shadow of its former self, and because of the high churn there is little opportunity to put down roots, or feel that sense of community pride families had a century before.
Whilst private renting works for some households, for many it’s the tenure of last resort – it’s the tenure where the worst housing conditions tend to exist, with the lowest security of tenure and in too many cases poor management. There are very many good and responsible landlords but there are also rogue landlords. My Council at Barking & Dagenham introduced a landlord licensing scheme which has brought about an improvement in standards, and I would argue that stronger regulation of the private rented sector will improve the lives and well-being of many families.
Ultimately, a secure good quality home in a community where people can put down roots, feel proud, and thrive, is the foundation of a good society. “Take back our streets” isn’t just about enforcement, it is about building a Britain where people feel a sense of pride and ownership over where they live. Thank you.
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