In Episode 47, I speak with Zoë Garbett AM — Green Party London Assembly Member, Hackney councillor, and one of the few politicians willing to speak plainly about the state of housing in this country.
This conversation pulls no punches. We talk about what’s really happening behind the headlines, and why the public narrative around housing is so often divorced from the lived reality of residents, leaseholders, and struggling local councils.
We cover:
- Coniston House — and what its failings tell us about national neglect
- Whether good housing is now a myth, and where things started to go so badly wrong
- The service charge scandal and the widespread lack of transparency or value
- Why most new homes in London are built for rent, not for stability or affordability
- How residents who speak out are ignored, harassed, or silenced — not supported
- The need for leaseholder protection, tighter legislation, and proper scrutiny
- The scandal of void stock being sold off while councils can't afford to buy it back
- The real story behind rent control — and why rents keep rising every year regardless
- The rise of SLAPPs and unlawful legal tactics to suppress accountability
- The false narrative of housing success — propped up by awards, conferences, and PR
- The worrying trend of client journalism, where scrutiny is traded for sector access
- The housing benefit overcharging scandal, with providers claiming false errors and councils footing the bill — including my own landlord
- The urgent need for honesty, regulation, and structural reform — not celebration
Zoë speaks from lived experience, policy knowledge, and community activism. If the housing sector wants to rebuild trust, it needs to listen to voices like hers — and stop pretending everything’s fine.
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