A report published by the London Assembly yesterday has found that a shortage of affordable family-sized housing in London is resulting in overcrowding.
The report claims that the type of affordable homes built doesn’t match the needs of Londoners and that, in order to meet their ‘affordable units’ targets, house-builders often supply only the smallest and cheapest properties – a practice which has led to a surplus of around 12,000 one-bedroom properties, but a shortfall of larger properties.
Launching the report Tony Arbour AM, Chairman of the Assembly’s Planning and Spatial Development Committee said the report showed that “too many Londoners are having to squeeze into unsuitable housing because it isn’t being designed to meet the capital’s needs.”
“Our report calls for changes to the Mayor’s London Plan – his blueprint for the capital – to better incentivise the building of homes with more bedrooms.”
Members of the Committee have also called for Londonwide targets for affordable housing to be more closely aligned with the needs of Londoners.
The report – “Size Matters – The need for more family homes in London” – is available from the Assembly website.
