Human of Tower Hamlets: John

"18 years ago, our family welcomed our son Harrison, and quickly, our home felt cramped with three kids. I was facing a ten-year wait to be rehoused by my housing association, and honestly, it felt daunting. I’ve always been the type to take action, so rather than just waiting for an offer that may not happen, I decided to propose a self-build project to my local council.

At first, it seemed near impossible. I heard all kinds of reasons why it wouldn’t work, from lack of available land to doubts about my skills. It was intimidating, but with the support of my local councillor Geraldine, I pressed on. Eventually, we were offered land for the project, which was a huge step forward.

I rallied a group of nine locals who were also in need of housing and decided to take the plunge together. We enrolled in a college course to learn the necessary skills, put our holidays on hold, and dedicated ourselves to the project.

It took me eight years from start to finish and as a team we spend 18 months transforming unused garage land into ten new houses. The project gave us more than our homes; it brought us together and we're a close-knit community.

My neighbour Helen came on board with no construction experience, the project helped her develop carpentry skills and then she was inspired to go back to school and get a degree in social work. I was so happy to cheer her on.

As for me, working as a building surveyor at THCH, I draw from the experience to support others facing similar challenges. In 2020, I was invited to speak at an event hosted by Community Led Housing London at the Crisp Street Community Hub, just below Bailey Towers. I was pleased to learn that Tower Hamlets is taking the right to self-build seriously, it could be a viable option for the overcrowding issue in the borough.

Hopefully, my experience shows that when people band together, real change is not just possible—it’s transformative!"

John | THCH, Stepney, E1

Welcome to Humans of Tower Hamlets! We are proud to live, work, and play in one of London’s most diverse boroughs, where every person has a unique story to tell. In this new series, we’ll be sharing snippets from candid conversations with our residents, community members, and team, celebrating the vibrant stories, spirit, and people that bring Tower Hamlets to life. If you’d like to chat and share your experiences as a Human of Tower Hamlets, we would love to hear from you! [email protected]????