Ravi Govindia has been highly commended in this year’s Housing Heroes awards.

Cllr Govindia was honoured in the 2018 Inspirational Leader of the Year category for his work in delivering thousands of new homes in the borough.

The Housing Heroes Awards are jointly organised by the trade journal, Inside Housing and the Chartered Institute of Housing. They are judged by a panel of industry experts in recognition of “the unsung heroes of the housing world”.

His commendation was based on his priority as council leader to “overcome the challenges of London’s housing crisis.

“His vision on housing and the driving force it plays in social mobility is borne out of his own experiences. His belief is simple: where you were born and which school you went to should not be a barrier to your future.”

His role in the regeneration of Nine Elms was also mentioned. The regeneration will create 20,000 new homes and 25,000 new jobs, the first new tube station in the borough for 90 years, new schools and a new town centre for Wandsworth.

Craig Luttman, regional managing director at L&Q Housing said: “We have always enjoyed working with Cllr Govindia. Partnership working is most effective when both parties share a common goal, which here is to tackle the housing crisis.

Working in partnership with Wandsworth under the leadership of Cllr Govindia we can continue to deliver great quality housing in the borough. Speaking after the awards, Cllr Govindia said: “The aim of the council I lead is to build as many homes as we can, in places where people want to live and of a sufficiently high quality to satisfy the dreams and aspirations of the people who will live in them. It is about more than just building homes, it is about building and supporting communities and that is of key importance to us.”

Judges were impressed by Cllr Govinda's record of delivery which since 2011 has seen:

  • A total of 19,000 residential homes are under construction with more than 9,000 homes delivered over the last five years.
  • Delivery outstripping performance is also reflected in New Homes Bonus payments which have consistently shown Wandsworth to be a top 5 performer in the country.
  • The council’s unique hidden homes programme has been reset to deliver 1,000 new homes on infill sites over the next seven to eight years.
  • Two major estate regenerations that will deliver 3,000 new homes, new community, library and leisure facilities, new GP practices and a new school