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Khan promises ‘majority social rent’ £4bn London grant programme
London mayor Sadiq Khan has promised to spend more than half of his new £4bn affordable housing budget on homes for social rent.
Bidders for the funding will also be required to meet tougher new criteria on safety, sustainability and space standards – with sprinkler or fire suppression systems mandatory in blocks of flats built using the cash.
In September, it was announced that the Greater London Authority (GLA) will be allocated 35% of the £11.5bn available through the government’s new Affordable Homes Programme (AHP), running from 2021 to 2026.
The mayor today claimed that he has convinced ministers to allow him to use more than half of this money to fund social rented homes.
A GLA spokesperson told Inside Housing that these homes would be for traditional social rent – not the mayor’s own London Affordable Rent product, which is usually slightly more expensive.
City Hall also confirmed that funding conditions for the national AHP, such as the Right to Shared Ownership and the new shared ownership model, will apply to its own programme.
New conditions attached to the London funding will include a ban on combustible materials on the external walls of all buildings, regardless of height, a requirement for private outdoor space, minimum floor-to-ceiling heights and standards on access to sunlight inside the homes.
Developments of 10 or more homes built through the programme will also need to be net zero carbon, while funding recipients will need to take steps to tackle discrimination.
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Mr Khan said: “Despite significant progress over the last four years to build the homes our city needs, the reality is too many Londoners still can’t afford a decent home to rent or buy.
“This is why I have put the twin goals of affordability and quality at the centre of my new Affordable Homes Programme.
“All Londoners deserve a safe, secure home with enough space to live comfortably, and private outside space to enjoy fresh air.
“I want to deliver a new generation of social housing in London that sets the standard nationally when it comes to excellent design, safety and sustainability.”
The funding will be administered concurrently with the mayor’s existing 2016 to 2023 programme, extended by a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Altogether, the money is expected to deliver 82,000 homes from April 2021 onwards.
Helen Evans, chair of the G15 and chief executive of Network Homes, said: “The G15 strongly support the mayor’s ambitions for the programme and welcome the clarity on the bidding process in the guidance, which will help our members’ plans for the future delivery of new affordable homes in the capital.”
Mr Khan and the G15 claim that London needs £4.9bn a year to tackle social and affordable housing need – with the new AHP settlement worth around £800m annually.
The mayor has branded his allocation “inadequate”, but said he still expects to meet targets agreed with ministers.
Councils will be encouraged to bid for the funding, and last week the GLA published guidance aimed at helping boroughs maximise the number of affordable homes built on their land.
Darren Rodwell, executive member for housing at London Councils and leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, said: “It’s good to see the progress being made in boosting delivery and London boroughs are determined to play our part in making this happen.
“We want to see quality – as well as quantity – in the new homes built in our communities.”
In 2019/20, 17,256 affordable homes were started through GLA-managed programmes, hitting the 17,000 target set by ministers and representing the highest figure since records began in 2002/03.
