An ambitious vision for housing in London

What have we achieved so far?

• Having delivered just over 40,000 homes by April 2011, we are on track to meet our target of 50,000 affordable completions by 2012. It was reported to the HCA London Board, chaired by the Mayor, that the total number of completions delivered in London would be around 57,000 by the end of March 2012, of which around 52,000 net affordable completions would be delivered by the HCA.
• Affordable housing starts have increased by 46 per cent between 2007/8 and 2010/11.
• London is now producing more family-sized affordable homes than it has for a decade.
• We have brought 4,145 empty homes back into use.
• Our target to double the number of accredited landlords by the end of 2011 has been more than met, with over 9,000 landlords in London now accredited.
• The First Steps agents service has been improved, with the new First Steps website launched April 2011 – attracting 80,000 unique visitors and receiving more than two million hits in its first three months of operation.
• The support and agreement of key partners has been secured for the development of a pan-London mobility scheme for social tenants.
• We have improved the housing options for underoccupying social tenants, by taking on responsibility for running the Seaside and Country Homes scheme and launching the Homes out of London pilot.
• The number of the most entrenched rough sleepers has been reduced by three quarters and the No Second Night Out pilot project has been launched.
• We have agreed with the government to deliver an affordable homes programme over 2011-15 worth over £5.5 billion for the capital. This includes £1.8 billion for this spending round that will unlock a further £3.7 billion of private and other investment, and will complete 54,500 affordable homes in the capital by 2015.
• We have secured £821 million for London from the 2011-15 Decent Homes budget – over 50 per cent of the national total.

A new London Housing Strategy

In February 2010 the Mayor published the first statutory London Housing Strategy. Since then, a new investment period has begun, there have major changes to the allocation of government funding for housing and there are significant changes proposed in the Localism Bill, including significant new housing and regeneration powers for the Mayor. Given these changes, the 2010 strategy has now been reviewed and a number of areas have been identified where change is needed.

A revised housing strategy is therefore being produced. The Mayor’s initial proposals for this new strategy were published on 31 August for consultation with the London Assembly and GLA Group; and on 13 December 2011 he published a draft revised London Housing Strategy for consultation with the public. This sets out more details on policies which the Mayor is setting out to help meet his aim of empowering people and transforming places.

Revised Housing Strategy - public consultation draft.pdf
Revised Housing Strategy - public consultation draft.rtf