Housing

Defy the government and build more social housing

Prevent land banking and speculation  including clamping down on properties built solely for investment rather than living in 

Facilitate setting up of housing co-ops

Promote efficient use of housing stock as many large family homes of adult children are half empty

All available housing funds should go into affordable homes for social rent and for homelessness initiatives (so that local authorities are not moving homeless people out of London [unless they wish to do so], and there is no further use of bed and breakfast accommodation - these are the absolute priorities. Planning powers should also be utilised to maximise these priorities.

Homes being built and modernised should meet sustainability targets as close to the Passiv home standard as possible.

The term "Affordable Homes" combined with the average London wage is laughable. 

There are enough homes in London. The problem is that loads are unoccupied, under-occupied, and/or overpriced. 

All home-buying schemes are pointless if you want to stay in London.

The cladding issue on new builds is a massively under-reported issue and is screwing over many first-time buyers.

Shared ownership leads most into a spiral of never being able to move beyond it due to overinflated initial values, overpriced service charges and the inflation of stair-casing. 

Who are these homes  affordable  to in London? There are few people who can afford to buy them !!!! Hommes to rent at affordable prices in the public sector are the only affordable  housing. in London.

Genuinely affordable homes are needed desperately in all parts of London. Land is scarce, and some is supposedly green space - but golf courses are not diverse environmentally. They are falling out of favour anyway, so compulsory purchase should be used. Government action is needed too, to make the price reflect the current use rather than use for housing.

The disconnect between over ambitious population growth (2m) to 2041 and infrastructure, especially transport, is alarming. Quality of life can only decline unless growth is moderated. This is the greatest weakness in the Lonon Plan.

Investment in cycling is expensive and the return is abysmal. Loss of main road capacity to cycle tracks is unjustified. Putting in tracks cannot change the perception that cycling is dangereous and involves inhaling pollutants. Speeding up bus services via dedicated lanes is the answer and best return; selected free services hours will draw more out of their cars. Building over railhead carparks at underground stations is perverse and damaging to free movement; this policy should be halted forthwith.

Housing quality across London is very inadequate. Upgtrading for better heat retention should be prioritised on contrinutory basis.

Insisting on high percentages of affordable housing per development is robbing councils of contributions to S106 funding for environmental and service improvements. Affordable is not free - this mechnism may seem popular to lay public but is paid for by elevated prices of remaining housing - it compounds the cost of living pressures in London. Why go on doing it, except to gratify left wing socialists? Building social housing in volume is less rewarding to local councils so is not favoured; make it obligatory and institute new tenancy agreements to enable occupants to move on when able to instead of camping for years on subsidised public assets.

All well starting to build but when are they going to be finished.  Huge tower blocks are not the answer as the residents need some green space, children need open space to run about for their health.  What is affordable accommodation.

There should be a lot more Social housing being built, not everyone can afford to buy in London, my son had to move to Leeds to afford to bring up his family

If the mayor had a clue what affordable housing really was it would be a start but he hasn't a clue so we have affordable housing average people cannot afford and it will continue until he gets off his millionaire ivory tower and starts to realise what ordinary people can really afford

We bought our "affordable home" 5 years ago for over £330 000k with Help to Buy scheme. We paid back the scheme a few months ago, so we are now managing two mortgages for 30 years.

And now we got the news that our newly built bulding is not passing fire safety. Grenfell fire killed many many people, but the legislation that followed destroys the life of thousands of familys. Paying two mortgages and nursery (!!!! £1500 !!!!!) and paying bills and food is very difficult indeed. We just manage. But now cladding and insulation fix is going to cost over a million pound. I earn well above the national average, but that is crippling us.

Is it what affordable home is? Really?

I can think of only one way out of this. And that is a one way ticket.

The problem also is that government think most people are on £25 K- 30K a year salaries in London. Really wish that was true. Therefore they think we can afford these ridiculous costs. It would also help to bring back 100% mortgages as we would be paying a lot less than private  rent costs

We need a fundamental and radical rethink of housing policy in the country and not just in London. Having a safe place to live with secure tenancy/ownership is a human right. Successive governments have distorted this principle for political ends and to hide the lack of pensions, employment opportunities and social care by promoting the ownership of an asset. we are now facing the true consequences of this approach with shattered families, homelessness, and social anger. Addressing this issue is about more than numbers but about leadership, honest conversations and policies to address the underlying policy failings.

THIS IS PART TWO, PART ONE WAS UNDER CITY PLANNING!

Yes, we should be building homes in order to address the housing crisis, but these should be council homes for genuinely affordable rents and built to accommodate those Londoners looking for homes (including the disgraceful number of homeless folk) - not to encourage more folk into an overcrowded Greater London.  Furthermore, there should be  no more right to buy which has depleted the council stock and no more . 

However, we must leave space to allow our city and it's surrounds to breath.  In-filling in any available space is really not acceptable - and many high rise, garden-less developments are simply looking like slums of the future.  Low level housing with plenty of green space is essential - and would help to be compliant with climate change and environmental policies.  Losing green spaces and cramming more and more people into increasingly polluted areas is not!

Crucially, The UK isn't just London.  

London needs to be a part of a National Policy that looks to consolidate and improve what we have in London whilst encouraging growth in those parts of the UK where expansion is both requested and possible, including building new towns. And if airport expansion is genuinely needed (in itself questionable) then that should be miles away from London!  If the Northern Powerhouse is to be a reality, then let's see some positive action to make it so. In short, let's stop forcing more and more into the Greater London area; let's consider the quality of life rather than the mantra of never-ending growth and the unsavory consequences that result.     

ends.

The housing situation is soo frustrating especially if you were born in london. Seeing all the people i grew up around being forced out of the borough and london because of the lack of social housing has had  a negative affect on Communities.  As a disabled Londoner the housing options are worse and disabled Londoners are forced to stay in inhumane conditions for years. I have been on the accessible housing list for over 11 years and have been in a temporary bedsit for over 8 years.  Pressure needs to be put on boroughs like Kensington & Chealsea. We have been promised housing for years and disabled people have always been left out. 

We need affordable housing of a good standard which fits in the area where it is.  Rich investors, be they native or foreign, should not be able to buy property and keep it empty.  Play areas for children and green areas are vital.

Have you considered demolishing the below standards semis along the main road arteries and replacing them with5 storey squares of flats and town houses, facing away from the main road, in towards a green area, like in the Regency squares? You could replace shoddy buildings with better quality, provide children's play areas, and even allotments in a safe community space, and home more people too.