The London Assembly today has challenged the government for cash to create desperately-needed new social housing in the capital.
Nearly 16,000 social rented homes must be built every year to deal with London’s chronic housing crisis, the GLA’s recent strategic housing market assessment has identified.
But the government has committed no further funds, City Hall was told today.
“Millions of people in London are struggling to pay their rent,” the Assembly’s Sian Berry said.
“But the Government is only helping a few lucky people buy a very expensive home with its Starter Homes programme.
“We need them to look seriously at the huge need for low-rent homes and give us the funds and powers to provide social housing for people on lower incomes.”
The Assembly passed her resolution calling on the government to “provide sufficient funds in future spending reviews to meet the need for new social housing”. It noted that the 2015 Spending Review provided no further funds, while the 2016 Housing and Planning Act requires local planning authorities to promote and grant permission for ‘starter’ homes “at the expense of social rented homes”.
The housing crisis is felt worst in east London, where Tower Hamlets council has one of the country’s longest waiting lists with more than 20,000 families in the queue for social housing.
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