Green Mayoral candidate Sian Berry today promises to build 200,000 new homes, support tenants’ rights via a London Renters Union and halt estate demolitions, in a manifesto designed to tackle the capital’s housing crisis.
Half of the homes will be built affordably by councils, smaller developers, communities and housing associations, in a small-parcel model designed to break the grip of big developers on London’s broken housing market.
She also pledges to create better jobs in London by supporting small businesses, protecting commercial premises threatened by the property boom and making sure more workers win the London Living Wage.
The manifesto also includes her transport pledges to introduce lower fares for outer London, abolish fare zones by 2025, and bring in a new ticket allowing interchange between buses, Tubes and trains at no extra cost.
Sian says in her manifesto: “For the first time in history more than half the world lives in cities, and there is no better city to start changing the world than London.
“Greens put fairness at the heart of all our policies, building more homes with co-operative and smaller companies not big developers, funding experts to help communities defend their estates and helping private tenants with rent controls and a renters’ union so they can organise and stand together.
“We will make London a better place to live by reducing traffic, improving public transport and helping people walk and cycle on safe streets to nearby shops and services.
“The new Mayor and London Assembly elected in 2016 must take the first important steps towards a better future for all our people. I’m looking forward to building on 16 years of effective work by Green Assembly Members in City Hall.”
Sian will launch her manifesto at 10am today at the Parsons Green Depot, which was recently saved from redevelopment with the help of Greens at City Hall. Also speaking will be the Green Party’s No 2 and no 3 candidates for City Hall, Caroline Russell and Shahrar Ali (one of the party’s two deputy leaders).