Mayor of London Sadiq Khan raised three key areas about former housing on mayor’s question time with London Assembly.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has published a series of announcements about his draft Housing Strategy for London last month. During the Oct 12th Mayor’s question, the mayor talked about the three key areas about former housing in detailed.
Mr. Khan said: “There is a gulf between what London is building and what our Londoners need.”
According to him, to raise the level of former housing, the first thing is to strengthen the planning guidance which were already published to ensure developers contribute their fair share or affordable homes. For those who fail to meet the requirement will have their viability assessments made by public and interrogated by viability experts.
Secondly, more investment and funding will be put into affordable homes, in order to help Londoners with the lowest income.
Mr. Khan also mentioned that, the new strategy will prioritize the delivery of affordable homes and publicly owned land, including land owned by mineral organizations.
The new strategy has many other policies including a series of measures to protect Londoners existing affordable homes and call on the government to reform the way that right to buy operates to ensure homes that are sold are placed on a like-for-like basis.
London Assembly member Sian Berry raised question about the definition of affordable which is important to the whole strategy. Based on the definition written in the draft in terms of wages, Ms. Berry worried if that definition makes it through into the London plan will have a loophole that developer will use it and outside the funding streams.
“When I say affordable unlike my predecessor I don’t believed that 80% of market rates is genuinely affordable for most Londoners,” said Mr. Khan. “It related to the deal we made was one where it’s a London living rent a third of average earnings and that by definition it will change in different parts of London”
Mr. Khan indicated that: “My long-term aim is that half of new homes built should be affordable.”
The draft of new housing strategy was published early in September, targeting in dealing with London’s housing crisis. The draft launches a three months’ consultation until Dec 7th. All the Londoners can give out their comment on it.