Next London mayor urged to build more affordable homes

The next mayor of London should launch a major programme of affordable house building, according to a new report.

The report by the think tank Centre for London warns that housing supply in the capital is failing to keep pace with demand and adds that housing is increasingly unaffordable to Londoners on low and modest incomes.

The report calls for all those standing as candidates in the next London mayoral elections to commit to a major programme of building affordable housing, which could be used to build 25,000 affordable homes a year, with government backing.

It also argues the next London mayor should undertake a long-term review of London’s green belt, with the aims of managing release of land to build well-connected new places, preserving London’s urban character, and enabling access to open space for Londoners. Government should permit and support such a review.

It also recommends that the mayor support London’s boroughs to build more housing with more help for schemes developed by more than one local authority.

Centre for London’s deputy director, Richard Brown said housing is a ‘fundamental challenge’ in the capital.

‘High housing costs push working Londoners into poverty, makes entry-level jobs inaccessible for young people from out of town, and makes people in the rest of the UK feel alienated from their capital,’ added Mr Brown.

‘Housing is a risk for London’s status as a centre for global headquarters too, by acting as a deterrent for internationally mobile professionals.

‘London’s housing problem is complex and long-established. Tackling it will not involve a single solution, but a concerted campaign of action. The next mayor of London must work with boroughs, housing association and developers – with the backing of the government – to address supply, affordability, security and quality.’

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