London Assembly calls motion for social housing funding

It was identified in the Greater London Authority's (GLA) most recent strategic housing marking assessment that 15,722 new social homes would be required each year. This is one third of the target total number of new homes in London per year. However, the government has not yet set aside any funding for these homes.

The London Assembly's motion said: "The autumn 2015 Spending Review provided no further funds for social rented homes, and … the Housing and Planning Act 2016 introduced duties for local planning authorities to promote, and grant permission, for Starter Homes, which will come at the expense of social rented homes."

Assembly member Sian Berry who proposed the motion said: "We need [the government] to look seriously at the huge need for low rent housing in London and give us the funds and powers to provide social housing for people on lower incomes.”

The Assembly has asked the mayor of London to bring forward a "housing budget and a revised London Plan and Housing Strategy that will continue to provide more social housing."

Planning expert Victoria Lindsay of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said: "Berry's motion comes just two months following Royal Assent of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 which lays down statutory requirements on local authorities to promote starter homes.  Berry's motion criticises the government's starter homes initiative and the manner in which local authorities will be pressured to promote starter homes to the detriment of social housing."

"The detail on starter homes is yet to come forward in the form of regulations which were expected this autumn but which may now slip due to the current political uncertainty post-Brexit. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, whose manifesto focussed on delivery of social housing, will be hoping for some form of London carve-out from the starter homes requirement in order to deliver on social housing," Lindsay said.