When the golden dust settles - housing in Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets after the Olympics

By: Marc Lancaster and Thomas McCarthy
Published: January 2014

When the golden dust settles - housing in Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets after the Olympics

Shelter was provided with funding by the Oak Foundation in 2008 to explore and prevent the negative impacts of the Olympics on those living within the main host boroughs of Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets. In the event, these concerns about the potential impact of the games were not realised. Shelter advisers on the ground noted very few cases where individuals had been negatively affected, and the delivery of 11,000 new homes to the area will represent a significant step forward in tackling the housing shortage within these boroughs. However, our research did reveal much deeper, systemic problems with the housing situation in East London. These factors are placing immense pressure on the three local authorities we looked at in this area, and as a result are having major impacts on the people who live there. This report therefore seeks to explore the housing challenges experienced in Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets, with a particular focus on the private rented sector, housing supply, and welfare reforms. It makes a number of recommendations around these policy areas.