Westminster's first Housing Compact: A Step Towards Better Living for All Residents

Westminster City Council is working with registered providers to deliver better outcomes in the borough.

Westminster sits at the centre of a London-wide housing crisis that cannot be solved alone. Westminster City Council and Registered Providers recognise that together they have the potential to drive change that will improve the lives of Westminster residents.

The Westminster Housing Compact (WHC), which was officially launched on Tuesday 12 November, marks the beginning of a partnership between key housing providers and the council. The group will work together to respond to the significant challenges facing Westminster, tackling homelessness, overcrowding, and improving conditions and services.

The partnership will help increase the supply of affordable housing – by taking joint action on empty homes, collaborating on regeneration initiatives and looking for innovative ways to help registered housing providers build more homes.

By sharing knowledge, plans and resources, Westminster City Council and registered providers will deliver essential services to residents in a more consistent way, regardless of landlord. Some ways we will do this include working together to allocate suitable housing, support our vulnerable residents and co-locating services such as offices and community hubs. The compact will seek to improve resident engagement and tackle issues like damp and mould and anti-social behaviour.

This is an ambitious project that has never been done in Westminster and marks the start of a strong partnership built on openness and trust that will bring meaningful change to the borough.

The launch brought together representatives from the council and Registered Providers, Peabody, Soho Housing Association, Octavia Housing, Soho Housing Association, Dolphin Living, Sovereign Network Group (SNG), Walterton and Elgin Community Homes (WECH), Sanctuary, A2 Dominion, Westminster Community Homes (WCH), London & Quadrant (L&Q) and Notting Hill Genesis (NHG).

They agreed to a set of aims that has residents’ needs and wellbeing at the heart of it. Attendees also heard from Westminster Youth Council who spoke about their experiences of housing in Westminster and how the compact could have a positive impact on the community.

The compact will focus on five key aims:

• To form strong relationships amongst partners of the compact
• To create affordable housing in the borough  
• To ensure a high-quality of service for all residents
• To provide safe, healthy and secure homes
• To provide local services that address residents' needs.

Cllr Liza Begum said:

The housing compact marks a clear commitment from us and our partners to work towards a shared goal of ensuring our residents have affordable and comfortable housing.

I am looking forward to working with our partners to bring about better outcomes for residents for many years to come.

Following the launch, the WHC will create a comprehensive plan that will set out the aims and actions of the compact for the next three years.