London Housing Strategy – a summary

By many measures, London is the greatest city on earth. It is the UK’s only global city and Europe’s most cosmopolitan capital. Between 1997 to 2012 London’s economy more than doubled in size, growing from £147 billion to £309 billion.

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This success has led to London’s population growing rapidly, from 6.8 million in 1986 to 8.4 million in 2013 and is now projected to surpass its 1939 peak of 8.6 million as early as 2016.

This significant growth, after decades of falling population from the 1940s to the 1980s, is primarily the natural growth that results from London’s relatively youthful population.

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But this success has also brought challenges; most notably, the shortfall of affordable homes.

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The shortage of housing pushes up prices and rents and affects those in most acute need, whether homeless or overcrowded.

Low and middle income households are being hit hard too. If these essential workers cannot afford to live in the capital, it impacts not just on London but on the nation’s growth and competitiveness.

The overriding aims of this strategy are to increase the supply of housing of all tenures and to ensure that these homes better support London’s continued economic success.

The strategy is not just about supply - policies range from improving the existing stock to tackling rough sleeping – but supply is at the heart of it, underpinning each of its five key priorities.

The Mayor of London laid some of the f irst

bricks for around 600 new homes to be built

on Catford’s former dog track.

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1. Increasing housing supply to levels not seen since the 1930s.Our long-term ambition is to increase supply to at least 42,000 new homes per year, around double what has been achieved over the last 20 years. 100,000 affordable homes will be built over the Mayor ’s two terms.

Wembley Housing Zone

2. Better supporting working Londoners. Our strategy increases opportunities for low cost home ownership and does more to support working Londoners as existing home owners. It also improves their private rented options and gives them greater priority for affordable homes to rent.

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3. Improving the private rented sector.The London Rental Standard promotes professional standards of management for landlords and letting agents. We’ve also set a target to increase the supply of new purpose-built private rented sector housing.

4. A financial settlement for the GLA to lead on housing supply.London needs a long-term and stable funding settlement for housing that transcends individual public spending rounds and enables the Mayor, boroughs and housing providers to plan ahead with certainty.

5. Accelerating the pace of housing construction. Up to 20 Housing Zones will be launched to maximise the capacity of key sites to rapidly construct new homes. The Mayor will also promote at least three new “garden suburbs”, and is working on a London Housing Bank.

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The strategy also looks to respond better to the housing needs of older Londoners, encouraging the development of more homes that are attractive and suitable for older people.

It will increase the provision of smaller affordable homes targeted at those downsizing, support purpose-built older people’s housing and offer better incentives for older people to downsize.

A brand new neighbourhood is being created in Barking

Riverside (pictured).

The strategy supports those who are most disadvantaged by the housing crisis, the homeless and rough sleepers.

The Mayor will work with boroughs and other partners to ensure that no one new to the streets sleeps rough for a second night, no one lives on the streets of London and the flow of new rough sleepers is minimised.

Pound Lane

credit: St Mungo’s Broadway

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We are working to bring London’s empty homes back into useWe will ensure that no more than 1% of homes stand empty and unused for over six months. Financial incentives to leaving homes empty will also be removed.

All new homes should meet high design standards, and should be accessible for people at all stages of their lives. Improving the quality and energy efficiency of existing homes also remains a key priority.

To achieve this, the Mayor will make funding available to ensure that all boroughs are able to reach the Decent Homes standard.

Retrofitting will also be encouraged.

Climate Energy Homes Passivhaus Development.

The UK's largest all affordable Passivhaus scheme.

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To provide the land for development the Mayor will have an exit strategy for all GLA landholdings by 2016.

The Mayor will also seek out new entrants to the market and long-term investment.

Development by small and medium-sized builders and community-led organisations will also be encouraged.

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Read the London Housing Strategy in full at london.gov.uk