Family Sized Homes

“This Assembly notes with concern that a target for family-sized homes is not included in either the new draft London Housing Strategy or in the new draft London Plan.

The Assembly notes the statement in the London Plan that two-bedroom units should be ‘taken into account’ when assessing needs for family homes. It also notes the assumptions in the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) that 55% of all new homes, and 69% of low-cost rented homes, should be one-bedroom units.

In addition, the Assembly notes the potential for the loss of existing family homes under the Small Sites policy, through the presumption in favour of ‘residential conversions’ and ‘redevelopment of existing properties’.

The Assembly notes that a third of children in social housing and a quarter of children in private rented housing live in overcrowded conditions, and notes the devastating impact that overcrowding can have on children and families. The Assembly is concerned that a failure to provide sufficient family-sized homes, of three and four bedrooms, will make this problem worse and not better.

The Assembly therefore calls on the Mayor to urgently review his draft London Housing Strategy and draft London Plan, and revisit the assumptions in his Strategic Housing Market Assessment, to ensure that suitable targets and provisions are made for new family sized-homes of three and four bedrooms, and to prevent the loss of existing family homes.”