News from Andrew Boff: Leads Assembly on Family Housing

London Assembly members today gave unanimous backing to Andrew Boff’s motion calling for an overhaul of family housing in the capital.

The motion calls for specific measures to increase the priority for family homes within developments.

Speaking later, Mr Boff said:

“For too long, housing in London has been target-driven and obsessed with the number of housing units, with little regard for the quality of housing that is actually built.  Consequently there are very few family homes being built in London – and  many of these are poor quality and the wrong location.

“I am pleased that the Assembly has unanimously backed my proposals.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The full motion, passed unanimously by the Assembly today, is as follows:

"The Assembly welcomes progress towards increasing the supply of family homes in London, especially the Housing Strategy target that at least 42% of new social housing should have three bedrooms or more. The Assembly also welcomes measures to increase the supply of affordable homes, including the setting of local targets, and to improve the quality, design and space standards of new housing, to be set out in the forthcoming Housing Design Guide.

The Assembly notes with concern than the provision of larger family homes in the intermediate housing sector in London is currently falling significantly below the 16% target in the Mayor’s draft Housing Strategy.  The Assembly notes that there is an urgent need to increase the supply of family homes in London, especially in the social rented sector, and is concerned about the current lack of priority given to the provision of high quality family homes in many developments. The Assembly also believes that it is vital to support and maintain strong families, and to avoid family breakdown wherever possible.

The Assembly therefore urges the Mayor to ensure that there is a continuing drive to increase the proportion of family homes in new build social housing, and that as many of these new homes as possible should be high quality family homes with gardens, positioned thoughtfully and appropriately within developments. The Assembly also recommends that the forthcoming GLA Housing Design Guide contains specific provisions to improve the quality of family housing provision."