A Barkingside family who had been on the housing waiting list for 13 years were welcomed into their new social rent home by MP Wes Streeting and London's Deputy Mayor Tom Copley.
Tatjana Lebedjoka and her daughters, Amy and Kyra, are among the first to move into one of 98 new social rent homes at Barkingside Yard, located near the Tube station.
Mr Streeting, Ilford North MP and Health Secretary, said: "I’m delighted to welcome the Lebedjoka family to Ilford North and their brand-new home in Barkingside.
"I have worked closely with Places for London throughout this process and am thrilled with the finished scheme, especially the redesign of the station exit making the area safer for everyone who uses the station."
During the visit on February 27, Mr Streeting and Mr Copley met the family alongside representatives from housing association Peabody, Redbridge Council, Vistry, and Places for London.
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Ms Lebedjoka described the home as a "forever" place for her family and said it meant absolutely everything" to her and her daughters. She said: "I’m just really happy. It’s a new home, a new beginning – a new life."
Her daughter Amy said she was looking forward to having more space and better connections. She said: "There’s a bigger space, and more people live near here, and it’s easier to get to other places."
Kyra added: "I’m grateful we have the new house because we’ve been wanting to move for a while, so I’m really grateful. It’s a lot bigger than our other house."
The Barkingside Yard development is built on former Transport for London land and includes one-, two- and three-bedroom homes, all at social rent.
Eight are three-bedroom family homes, and several are wheelchair accessible or easily adaptable. The scheme has improved the surrounding area with better lighting, improved crossings, and upgraded cycle parking.
Tom Copley, London's deputy mayor for housing and residential development, called it "exactly what we need" as part of building "a better, fairer London for everyone".
