For Immediate Release
Labour councillors have tabled a major motion for this month’s Full Council meeting, highlighting what they describe as the “systemic collapse” of Tower Hamlets’ housing service under the Aspire administration.
The motion sets out the sharp decline in repairs, safety compliance and housing delivery since 2022 a period in which Aspire promised major reform, including the closure of Tower Hamlets Homes (THH) and the creation of a new Joint Venture to deliver thousands of homes. Neither promise has materialised.
A Housing Service in Decline
Labour’s motion reveals that:
• Tenant satisfaction with repairs has fallen from over 80% before 2022 to just 65%.
• Only 61% of residents are satisfied with the time taken to complete repairs.
• Only 76% of emergency repairs were completed on time last year far worse than neighbouring boroughs such as Newham (99%) and Southwark (94%).
• Only 59.7% of calls to the housing service are answered.
• Just 47.3% of repairs appointments are kept.
• 23% of council homes now fail to meet the Decent Homes Standard.
• The Council paid over £106,000 in compensation to tenants last year due to delays, missed appointments and poor workmanship.
Regulator Issues Damning Verdict
In 2025, the Regulator of Social Housing issued a rare C3 judgement against Tower Hamlets, one of the most severe in the country citing “serious failings” in repairs, safety and housing management:
“Through our meeting observations and other inspection activities, we found serious failings in LB Tower Hamlets meeting the requirements of the Safety and Quality Standard, and evidence that these failings have impacted negatively on service outcomes for tenants. We also found weaknesses in respect of some of the outcomes in the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard, and the Neighbourhood and Community Standard”.
Labour says this is the direct result of political mismanagement.
Cllr Sirajul Islam: “Aspire has left tenants with the worst housing service in a decade”
Commenting on the motion, Cllr Sirajul Islam, Leader of the Labour Group, said:
“Three years ago the Mayor promised transformation. Instead, residents have been left with the worst housing service we’ve seen in a decade. Repairs performance has collapsed, safety failures have piled up, and the mayor spends more time trying to woo developers rather than get on with fixing the homes we have.
The Regulator’s judgement is one of the most damning in the country – and it confirms what tenants have been telling us for years. Aspire has failed to deliver even the basics.”
He added:
“Housing is the biggest issue in this borough. Families living with damp and mould, elderly residents waiting days for heating repairs, appointments missed again and again, this is the lived experience of Aspire’s housing service.
Labour will bring back competence, accountability and respect for tenants. Tower Hamlets deserves better than this.”
ENDS
