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London affordable housing starts hit highest level since 2012 but long-term target looms large
London mayor Sadiq Khan has hit his target of building at least 14,000 affordable homes in London in the past year, but faces a challenge to reach his target for 2022.
Figures published by the Greater London Authority (GLA) today show that 14,544 affordable homes were started in 2018/19, more than in any year since the body took control of housing investment in 2012 and beating the 14,000 target agreed by Mr Khan and ministers.
Of these, 3,991 were for social rent – the most since 2012. A total of 1,916 were started by councils, the highest level in 34 years.
The total figure is up from the 12,526 reported by the mayor’s office for 2017/18 and more than double the 7,189 affordable homes started in the last year of Boris Johnson’s time as mayor.
Mr Khan has vowed to build 116,000 affordable homes in the capital by 2022, helped by a £4.82bn grant secured from government. But based on the current rate, this would mean speeding up the rate of build significantly to hit the annual target of at least 45,000 by 2021.
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Mr Khan has also been criticised for double-counting housing starts in the past after Conservative London Assembly member Andrew Boff claimed that 1,256 of those recorded in 2017/18 were restarts.
Statistics released by City Hall in February showed that only 6,066 affordable homes had been started through GLA programmes in the nine months to the end of 2018.
“These record-breaking figures show that focusing on building council and social rented homes for Londoners is the right way to tackle the capital’s housing crisis,” said Mr Khan today.
“Councils are beginning to build again after decades of their hands being tied behind their backs – but national government needs to match our ambition and determination to deliver the homes Londoners so urgently need.
“We currently receive only a fraction of the affordable housing investment needed in London.
“Ministers must make a real step change in the funding and powers we have in London if we are to truly turn around the capital’s housing crisis.”
But Conservatives on the GLA were left unimpressed. On Twitter, the group pointed to the fact that under Mr Khan only 34,515 affordable homes have been started in the past three years.
The Mayor received a £4.82 billion grant to build 116,000 affordable homes by 2022. After 3 years, @SadiqKhan has only started just 34,515 �br />|>
— GLA Conservatives (@GLAConservative)
🗣 @AndrewBoff: "Once again Sadiq Khan has demonstrated that there is an enormous gulf between what he promises and what he delivers." pic.twitter.com/HIgesQ6m2R>The Mayor received a £4.82 billion grant to build 116,000 affordable homes by 2022. After 3 years, @SadiqKhan has only started just 34,515 \uD83D\uDC4E
— GLA Conservatives (@GLAConservative) May 10, 2019
\uD83D\uDDE3 @AndrewBoff: "Once again Sadiq Khan has demonstrated that there is an enormous gulf between what he promises and what he delivers." pic.twitter.com/HIgesQ6m2R
Mr Boff added: “Once again Sadiq Khan has demonstrated that there is an enormous gulf between what he promises and what he delivers.”
James Prestwich, head of policy at the National Housing Federation, said: “It’s good to see that the number of affordable homes being built in London has increased. The capital is in the grips of a dire housing crisis, which affects every corner of the city, and it’s vital that we all do everything we can to tackle it.
“However, while the number of affordable homes has increased, there’s still a lot further to go if we want to build the 46,000 affordable homes London needs every year.
“Building affordable homes in London is incredibly expensive – even buying the land can cost tens of millions of pounds. This is why we urgently need the government to make a significant long-term investment in affordable housing. Only a major public spending programme can lift the capital out of the depths of the housing crisis.”
