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Sadiq Khan to publish London Housing Strategy in August

A London Housing Strategy setting mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s housing policy and spending proposals through to 2021 will be published in August and adopted next spring.

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The timings were revealed in notes of a meeting with Greater London Authority (GLA) officials, published by housing campaigners this week.

 

The notes, which are understood not to have been approved by the GLA, say the strategy will have five priorities: increasing housing supply; making more housing genuinely affordable; ensuring homes are inclusive and attractive places to live; focusing more on the private rented sector; and homelessness.

 


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The notes quote officials saying housing associations will “feature in all five chapters” of the strategy.

 

In response to a question on housing associations’ performance, the officers noted that as more than 90% of the GLA’s Affordable Homes Programme funds go to associations, the mayor has “levers” to control the sector.

 

On public land, officers confirmed that there will be 50% affordable housing on GLA family land in future, clarifying “not 100% because Transport for London needs to raise £850m from public land disposal to fund cheaper fares and transport infrastructure”.

 

The mayor will also use the strategy to seek more powers from central government, asking especially for devolution of landlord licensing powers.

 

Mayor-led licensing could be used to pursue tougher measures against private landlords engaging in practices like revenge evictions or discrimination.

 

The strategy will also encourage local authorities to use their powers to prosecute more landlords. GLA officers noted that Newham Council has prosecuted a large number of landlords, and questioned why other boroughs could not do the same.

 

In April, Inside Housing reported that the strategy will increase London’s annual housebuilding target, which currently stands at 49,000. Data from Savills suggests that private starts will drop to just 18,000 a year by 2021.

 

The GLA declined to comment due to the election and the recent terror attack in London.

 

Despite the notes only being published this week, the meeting between officials and campaigners Just Space took place on 31 March, meaning some of the policies may have changed in the interim.

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