Rivals dispute mayor's building claim
A row has developed over claims made by the mayor of London that he is presiding over a record number of new affordable homes in the capital.
Boris Johnson announced that 26,014 affordable homes have been provided since he was elected in 2008 and that he is more than half way to reaching 50,000 by 2012.
But Mr Johnson’s claims were questioned by Labour’s London Assembly housing spokesperson Nicky Gavron.
Ms Gavron cited Homes and Communities Agency statistics showing that there were more new affordable homes, 28,800, built in the final two years of Ken Livingstone’s administration than under Mr Johnson’s mayoralty so far.
She also pointed out that the mayor initially pledged to provide 50,000 homes by 2011, not 2012.
She said: ‘There are a third of a million children living in over-crowded conditions in London and a third of a million languishing on our housing waiting lists. Boris Johnson’s claim to be breaking records will be cold comfort to these people.’
Mike Tuffrey, the Lib Dem housing spokesperson, said the mayor is ‘running well behind his initial pledge’.
‘Sadly the public funding crisis left by the last Labour government means tough times lie ahead. Yet with confidence returning to the housing market the private sector should be delivering far more.
‘With the public finances in such a dire state and with so much public land remaining empty it is has never been more important to make real progress in allowing private investment to unleash far more affordable rented housing.’
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment
Readers' comments (1)
Dave Hollins | 14/06/2010 9:09 pm
These homes are Ken Livingstone and the Labour Government's achievement, not Boris Johnson's.
Given the lags on building houses between the policy being changed and homes actually being built, the judgement on Johnson's policy will have to wait until next year when his policies finally work through into housing production. I think we'll see a big fall.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment