An outline of the plans for the former Holloway Prison site

• MUCH has been reported about Peabody Housing Association’s purchase of and plans to build new housing on the former Holloway Prison site, including the 42 per cent of homes which will be for social rent.

What we do not hear about are Peabody’s sales of street properties in London, which they originally bought to house people in need.

This month 20 such properties in London have been auctioned, including two in Islington: one in Oakley Road, Canonbury, and one in Calabria Road, Highbury.

Peabody would have bought these properties with large grants from the Housing Corporation – in effect, money from the taxpayer – and will be selling them at immense profits.

Most importantly, though, the sale of these properties means two less homes for social rent in our borough at a time when thousands of people are in desperate housing need, with 14,000 households on the council housing waiting list and many others in overpriced, insecure and / or sub-standard accommodation.

It could be argued that Peabody is selling off fewer homes than it is building in the borough. However, housing need in Islington is so dire that every home for social rent is precious. So Peabody’s apparent public-spiritedness appears to be a mere façade.

On top of which, Peabody are planning to charge London affordable rents for the Holloway homes, which are considerably more expensive than the standard council rents.

Sadiq Khan’s much-trumpeted financial support for housing associations like Peabody loses its lustre when we look at the full picture.

Islington Homes for All emphasises that only council homes offer the security and affordability for the thousands of people in housing need. And it’s time the London mayor woke up to this fact.

JENNY KASSMAN
Islington Homes for All