Labour councillor Seema Chandwani has been appointed one of the first ever Deputy Cabinet member for Social Housing Standards in Haringey.

She will build on twenty years of experience working with residents of Broadwater Farm and Northumberland Park Estates, and aims to raise standards across the borough.

The appointment comes after the Labour council announced a £250 million investment to improve existing social housing in the borough, which the councillor for West Green described as ‘a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives’.

Councillor Chandwani also criticised the Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV), a development scheme that she says ‘damaged the trust with so many residents living in Social Housing, especially on these two estates’. She expressed her wish ‘to regain confidence from these communities to ensure we get this right’.

The leader of the council, Cllr Joseph Ejiofor, announced that ‘council Housing is at the heart of our Socialist agenda’ and that ‘we are committed to deliver over 1000 council homes over the next four years, but we must also ensure our current housing is of high quality.’

He went on to say that ‘Councillor Chandwani has a robust record of working on both of these estates and already established relationships to enhance our ability to achieve the outcomes our residents need.’