Mayor launches Borough Cost of Living Crisis Response

The Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, launched the Newham Cost of Living Crisis Response at a summit earlier this month, attended by over 150 partners from across the voluntary, community and faith sectors.

Sharing new research published into the impact of the Cost of Living emergency on Newham residents, the summit included discussions on the most critical actions needed to make a difference, building on the lessons from the Covid-19 crisis.

The commitments made by the summit will be collated into our borough-wide action plan and our progress reported back on over the coming months:

  • An Action Plan will be produced and shared with Summit participants, alongside another meeting to be convened.
  • The Mayor’s Cost of Living Taskforce – meeting monthly, this group will oversee and drive delivery of the plan.
  • A resident event will be planned so we can talk directly to the community about how we are responding and supporting them.
  • A business focused event where we will talk to local small businesses about what support we could offer them, while also talking to larger businesses about what they can offer our residents.
  • We will lobby the new government for a fairer deal for Newham residents.  This will include joining the Mayor of London in lobbying for a two year rent freeze.

Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE said: “The Cost of Living emergency will be catastrophic in Newham as new research we published shows, leaving our residents disproportionally impacted by steep rises in energy, food and housing costs. We are committed to building a fairer borough where no one is left behind and so we are taking urgent action to help.

“We have to act with urgency, which is why we have already announced a comprehensive range of additional support for residents. This includes ensuring every resident accesses the entitlements they deserve.”