Kerslake review on Mayor’s housing delivery should go further

Londoners need affordable homes and the Mayor has a target of 50 per cent affordable homes on land owned by the GLA Group.^[2]

The Lord Kerslake independent review spelled out a case for the GLA Group to take a more interventionist approach in directly delivering the housing Londoners need and a plan on how to achieve this.^{[3] [4]}

There has been a lack of housing delivery on GLA Group sites in recent years, including Transport for London (TfL), the London Fire Brigade, Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, London Legacy Development Corporation and the Metropolitan Police Service.

The Mayor of London accepted all of the Kerslake recommendations. However, the London Assembly Housing Committee has published a letter today to the Mayor outlining additional recommendations that should be considered to add to the impact of the review. The recommendations include:

• Gypsy, Roma and Traveller sites, along with supported, specialist and community-led housing, should be included and identified as small sites within the GLA Group’s plans under a consolidated single programme. This would ensure that there is recognition that this must be provided for across London.
• 50 per cent affordable housing targets should be achieved on a portfolio basis, so when meeting the target across multiple locations, shared ownership and social rent homes will not be concentrated in less desirable areas or certain parts of housing developments. This would help prevent segregation of communities and the undermining of London’s diversity.
• When staffing arrangements to attract, retain and develop diverse talent within the GLA Group are reviewed, Black and Global Majority Londoners, women, low-income, and Londoners with disabilities should be explicitly referenced as part of plans for staffing and recruitment.
• When implementing the Kerslake recommendations, TfL should review its planned schemes to ensure they are viable, workable, reflect local character, and meet local needs.

Sem Moema AM, Chair of the London Assembly Housing Committee, said:

“Londoners, of all ages, who work hard to get by, deserve an affordable and quality home to live in. As a cross-party Committee, we have come up with some more practical recommendations to go even further in delivering the homes Londoners need.

“Gypsy, Roma and Traveller sites are desperately needed and site provision should be formally recognised and acted upon by the GLA. Supported and specialist housing, for example for victims of domestic abuse, should also be included to ensure that vulnerable people are not left out.

“Londoners need truly affordable homes, but they should not be concentrated in less desirable areas of London or certain parts of developments. London’s diversity needs to be reflected, when it comes to delivering homes, not only for marginalised groups, but also by those who help deliver these homes.”