Councillor Ashraf is Deputy Leader of the Council with responsibility for empowering the community. This includes leading the response to the cost-of-living crisis, building partnerships with the voluntary sector, engaging different faiths and communities, as well as tackling inequalities in gender and race. She also promotes participation through the work of the Borough Manifesto and the Citizens Alliance Network as well as initiatives such as the Good Neighbour Guide.
As part of empowering residents, Councillor Ashraf leads the Council’s response to tackling homelessness and debt through the Community Solutions service. She is also responsible for the management of Council-owned housing and homes let and managed through Reside, the Council’s wholly-owned municipal housing company.
Councillor Ashraf also leads on the provision of community infrastructure, recreation and leisure, libraries and arts and culture. This includes Creative Enterprise Zones and artists’ workspace, providing a permanent home to the East End Women’s Museum and maximising the borough’s heritage, including Eastbury Manor House, Valence House and the Abbey Ruins.