London Green Party Assembly Member Darren Johnson has called on the Mayor of London and the Government to change the Affordable Rent programme in light of a report published by the Future of London think tank. The report shows that the model, brought in to compensate for 66% cuts to the housing capital budget, is leading to a higher benefit bill, a failure to meet the Mayor’s target for family-sized homes and a greater risk of segregated communities
Darren Johnson commented:
“You can’t cut the housing budget by two thirds without consequences, it’s a false economy. This report shows the deeply flawed approach you end up with.
“The Mayor needs to lobby the Government for a massive injection of money for social housing in this spending review, alongside taxes to bring down land costs. He needs a long term package of over £1bn a year to meet the dire need for social housing in London, providing family-sized homes with rents people on low incomes can actually afford in all quarters of the capital.”