Does your organisation work with children and young people in housing need in London? Can you help bring their perspectives to work together and influence the Mayor’s housing policy? Trust for London is keen to hear from you.
The London Housing Panel has a vacancy for one new Member organisation. New Members enhance the Panel’s collective expertise and experience, and make sure it is inclusive of all Londoners.
We encourage interested organisations to get in touch for a chat before applying.
Deadline: Friday 17 March, 12pm.
The London Housing Panel (the ‘Panel’) was set up in 2019 ‘to enable London’s voluntary & community sector and the communities it serves to influence the capital’s housing policies and practices’. Trust for London and the Mayor of London jointly fund and support the Panel’s work, with funding in place to March 2025.
The London Housing Panel provides the voluntary and community sector with a structured way of engaging with the Greater London Authority (GLA). It gives the GLA a clear way to engage with the sector on housing policy. It currently has 14 Members from a unique mix of voluntary and community organisations.
Three principles guide the Panel’s work:
- There is an urgent need to build more social housing in London to tackle its housing crisis and we will always push for prioritising the building of and increasing the amount of social rented housing over other forms of tenure.
- By understanding the needs and aspirations of all Londoners, including those who are living most vulnerably, we can ensure house building creates better longer-term outcomes for Londoners.
- In addition to the building of new, stable homes at social rent, we want more action taken now to address homelessness, particularly statutory homelessness.
Since summer 2022, the Panel runs Member-led working groups, which tackle issues of interest jointly with the GLA and other stakeholders. At the moment these include a focus on housing supply, bringing the voices of Londoners into housing policy, racial justice and housing, and temporary accommodation. A fourth group works on ways to increase the Panel’s reach and influence.
The Panel meets four times a year, with Members, Chair, representatives from the GLA and normally the Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Residential Development (currently Tom Copley) and sometimes other guests attending.
Taking into account preparation time, each meeting lasts up to a half-day. Panel Members also join at least one working group (these vary but meet more frequently), and attend a small number of other meetings on specific topics as well as responding to consultations as opportunities arise.
- All Panel Members, including the Chair, make sure that London voices feed into and out of the Panel’s thinking and actions.
- They are expected to tap into their own communities and networks for consultation, feedback and raising new issues.
- Members are also expected to negotiate a balance between their own specialisms/ communities of interest and the collective view of the Panel.
- They also bring their own passions and perspectives as individuals.
- Panel Member organisations, especially those who are smaller, have more limited resources and would not otherwise be able to participate in the Panel’s work, can claim an annual fee of £1,000.
The Panel is increasingly returning to in-person or hybrid meetings. In-person meetings usually take place at Trust for London’s offices at 4 Chiswell Street, London EC1Y 4UP (near Moorgate tube station in the City of London). These offices are fully accessible. The Trust has facilities for both Teams and Zoom meetings at present.
Meeting papers are normally made available two weeks in advance of full Panel meetings. We are happy to make arrangements to support accessibility.
Membership of the Panel is held by organisations, rather than individuals.
Member organisations must:
- be based and operate in London.
- commit an appropriate lead representative to attend Panel meetings.
- provide services, representation or carry out advocacy (in the sense of policy, research or campaigning) work to improve the situation of Londoners and especially those on low incomes.
- have a proven commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and promoting the voices of people directly affected by housing issues.
- be able to demonstrate a track record of working collaboratively with other organisations and acting accountably and transparently with others.
- not be affiliated to a party-political organisation.
The Panel can have up to 16 Member organisations, who cover a range of perspectives. This vacancy is specifically to bring the perspectives of children and young people in housing need into the Panel’s work.
Trust for London prefers to support organisations that involve the people they serve in meaningful ways in the running of organisations. We will consider whether children and young people participate in decision-making when considering applications.
If you would like to apply, please:
- Submit an application using Trust for London’s online form. Please set out why the organisation wants to become a Member of the Panel, and what it can bring to the work of the Panel. Please provide one reference. You can download a Microsoft Word copy of the application form at the bottom of the page.
- Complete the separate online equal opportunities form. You can download this below. Once completed, please send it to LondonHousing@trustforlondon.org.uk.
Please get in touch with Susie Dye, Grants Manager, if you would like to discuss the role or need any assistance (susie@trustforlondon.org.uk; 07932 578112, part-time Monday to Wednesday plus Friday).
Key dates
Friday 17 March 12pm: Deadline for expressions of interest
June: First London Housing Panel meeting. Date TBC
Please get in touch with Susie Dye (susie@trustforlondon.org.uk) Grants Manager, if you would like to discuss the membership roles or need any assistance.