Reclaim Hackney welcomes The Mayor of Hackney statement explaining how Hackney, along with boroughs across London will prepare to help refugees fleeing Syria. In Hackney nearly 2,300 properties stand empty and almost a staggering 50 per cent are publicly owned – the highest percentage in the London. We call on Hackney Council to make available every empty home to all refugees and to the 1,772 people who are homesless in Hackney (1,333 of which are families with children) . Huge rent rises together with council and private landlord led evictions, has increased homelessness and has fuelled the housing crisis across London. Stop Evictions! Rent Caps and Rent Control Now! Nearly 6,500 unemployed people, making Hackney the borough with most claimants per capita in London. Renovating and building Council homes would kickstart desperately need jobs in the borough. We call on Hackney Council to embark upon a program of Eco-friendly *Council home building and renovation. A robust construction apprenticeship scheme is needed. This will see people recruited to structured training that pays a living training allowance and has a promise of a guaranteed living waged job on completion of that training. Reverse the cuts to Hackney College! The construction departments across all colleges, in particular Hackney, City and Islington and Tower Hamlets College, should be expanded to deliver the training excellence necessary for this mass programme of works. Blacklisting construction firms and their sub contractors will be barred from the procuring process only firms recognising and encouraging trade union rights of their members and pay a living wage or training allowance can tender for construction contracts. Once constructed, these Council built/renovated homes should be rented in accord with the London Rent Cap petition which demands genuinely affordable rents. https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/introduce-a-rent-cap-in-london Room in shared house: £75 a week Studio: £95 a week One bedroom property: £120 a week Two bedroom property: £145 a week Three bedroom property: £170 a week Four bedroom property: £195 a week Resettling refugees and migrants who are often fleeing trauma, demands a resettlement programme that respects and dignifies them. A resettlement that ensures they are supported and active in their resettlement. Hackney Council to work with Hackney Migrant Centre, NHS mental health teams, Action for ESOL, schools colleges, and other community and statutory organisations to establish a rolling programme of resettlement for refugees and migrants. If the cost of this means the council goes into a deficit budget, it should prepared to do so, whilst demanding the necessary funds from central government and international agencies. A mass house building/renovation scheme would generate local funds by boosting local income. This major program of home building/renovation will create and generate the desperately needed jobs and services in Hackney. Refugees and Migrants Welcome! People Need Homes! Homes Need people! Open Every Empty Home! Jobs! Training! Homes! A Future! *London Borough of Hackney