Councillor M Can Ozsen

M Can Ozsen's council service, spanning from 2014 to 2026, reveals a consistent engagement with scrutiny and policy development, with a notable shift towards housing and financial matters in recent years. While earlier years saw a broader focus on public safety, urban planning, and youth services, Ozsen's recent activities, particularly in 2025 and 2026, highlight a deep dive into housing policy and committee governance.

In the most recent year, 2026, Ozsen's recorded activities were primarily centered on committee memberships and attendance. While absent from a Living in Hackney Scrutiny Commission meeting in January, they were listed as a member of the Corporate Committee in March. This follows a pattern from late 2025 where apologies for absence were noted, indicating a continued, albeit sometimes limited, presence in council proceedings.

Looking at 2025, Ozsen demonstrated significant engagement, particularly with financial and housing policies. They voted in favor of a resolution on Council Taxbase and Local Business Rates Income in February, but later voted against Green Group Amendments to the budget in May. A standout contribution was in July during the Living in Hackney Scrutiny Commission, where Ozsen actively probed the council's future social rent housing plans. Their detailed questions focused on progress, timescales, priorities, evidence gathering, and opportunities for policy changes, funding, and partnerships to meet local housing needs. Ozsen articulated this by stating,

It's about the future plans. What progress has been made in developing a future program of new homes for social rent? And what are the associated timescales? What are some of the emerging priorities for any future program? And what evidence gathering has taken place to inform them? That's my first question.

Prior to these recent years, Ozsen's contributions were more varied. In 2024, activity was limited to apologies for absence and attendance at the Living in Hackney Scrutiny Commission. In 2023, their focus was primarily on the Pensions Committee. The years 2020 and 2019 saw Ozsen actively addressing public safety, crime prevention, product safety, and urban planning issues, including advocating for knife amnesty boxes and questioning pavement parking. They also engaged with food hygiene inspections and the adequacy of the Local Plan. In 2018, Ozsen was involved with the Energy from Waste facility, advocating for a comprehensive review and investigation into advanced technologies. Earlier years, from 2014 to 2017, show a consistent involvement in scrutiny commissions, particularly concerning children and young people, and participation in planning and corporate committees, with a notable focus on local health service provision in 2017.

Overall, M Can Ozsen's priorities appear to have evolved from a broad concern for public safety and urban planning in earlier years to a more concentrated focus on housing policy and financial matters in recent times. Their consistent engagement in scrutiny commissions across multiple years, particularly the Living in Hackney Scrutiny Commission, underscores a dedication to holding the council accountable and driving policy improvements. The detailed questioning in 2025 regarding social rent housing stands out as a significant recent contribution, reflecting a deep commitment to addressing local housing needs.