The Mayor of London told Darren Johnson, London Green Party Assembly Member, today that his plans to build social housing are “not enough” to meet the need, when asked about his 2020 Vision.
The Cambridge Centre for Housing & Planning Research estimates that, on current plans, there will be a shortfall of 186,333 social homes in London by 2021. In the Mayor’s first term, he fell short of meeting needs by 26,100 homes.
Darren Johnson London Green Party Assembly Member commented,
“The Mayor has raised the challenge of a growing city, but he is failing to meet that challenge. Now that he admits his plans aren’t enough, he needs to make clear demands of government for a £1 billion per year budget to build the homes low income Londoners desperately need.
“If he fails, the consequences will be stark: a housing benefit bill at least half a billion pounds bigger by 2020, more overcrowded families and more homeless people stuck in B&Bs.
“The Mayor’s main hope is that regeneration projects will enable him to deliver on what Londoners need. However, that won’t happen if he continues to sign off terrible plans like the redevelopment of Earl’s Court, which will see 7,600 new homes but no net addition of social housing.”