- New figures show 13,318 genuinely-affordable homes started on
London sites in 2020/21 despite the impact of the pandemic
- Completions up on last year and have risen every year under
Sadiq
The Mayor of London, , has
praised the hard work of councils and housing associations as new
figures show that 13,318 genuinely-affordable homes were started
in the capital last year despite the disruption and delays caused
by the pandemic and Brexit.
This total surpasses the annual target agreed with Government at
the start of the pandemic, and means annual affordable
homebuilding targets have been hit in every year of Sadiq’s
tenure as Mayor. In the last five years under Sadiq, London has
started to build 63 per cent more genuinely-affordable homes than
were started in the final five years of the previous mayoralty.
More than 6,000 homes started in the last year will be available
at social rent levels – the second highest annual figure in the
last decade (only surpassed by Sadiq’s 2019/20 figures).
Throughout the pandemic, the Mayor and the team at City Hall have
worked tirelessly to support partners across the housing sector
and ensure that building programmes remain on track. The Mayor
and his Deputy Mayor for Housing, , have
lobbied ministers to back council homebuilding as a key part of
their Covid recovery plan, demanded greater investment in
construction skills and technology in the wake of Brexit and set
out plans to give London’s Covid heroes priority access to
intermediate housing.
The number of genuinely-affordable homes completed across London
rose last year, with 9,051 affordable homes completed in 2020/21,
up from 7,775 homes the year before. This is almost double the
4,881 homes completed in the last year of the previous mayoralty
in 2015/16.
Affordable homebuilding is underway across London with every
borough reporting new starts in the last financial year. The
borough with the highest number of starts last year is Newham,
with work beginning on 1,689 new affordable homes. The east
London borough also had the highest number of completions last
year with 1,275 affordable homes being finished.
These figures underline the Mayor’s determination to do
everything in his power to tackle London’s housing crisis and he
is urging the Government to give him greater powers and resources
to continue this success.
The Mayor of London,
said: “London’s housing crisis remains one of the
greatest barriers to addressing the inequality we face in our
city, and a key priority for my second term will be doing all we
can to overcome it.
“Today’s figures show what councils, housing associations and the
wider London housing sector have been able to achieve despite the
instability and uncertainty created by Brexit and the pandemic.
They also underline the huge progress made since I became Mayor,
when just three homes for social rent were left in the pipeline
by my predecessor.
“Despite exceeding my annual targets and starting record numbers
of affordable homes for Londoners, there is still a mountain to
climb – we need to go further, faster.
“I am determined to build on the record-breaking delivery of
genuinely-affordable homes in my first term as Mayor to secure a
brighter future for our city.”
Helen Evans, chair of G15 and chief executive of Network
Homes, said: “The pandemic has highlighted more than
ever the importance of good quality affordable homes to people’s
health and wellbeing.
“These figures show that housing associations have remained
determined to keep delivering the affordable homes Londoners
need, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.
“The G15 is proud to have contributed almost six thousand of
these new homes last year and we stand ready to continue to
support the Mayor’s housebuilding ambitions.”
Cllr Darren Rodwell, London Councils’ Executive Member
for Housing & Planning, said: “With London facing
the most severe homelessness crisis in the country, boroughs are
totally committed to delivering the affordable homes our city
needs.
“The trend is going in the right direction – but there can be no
complacency. If we’re to continue increasing delivery, we need
the government to give us the powers and resources required to
boost local housebuilding at mass scale. The government must step
up and match London’s housing ambitions.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
- City Hall took control of housing investment in the capital
in April 2012
