Don’t forget family-sized homes

A third of children in social housing and a quarter of children in private-rented accommodation live in overcrowded conditions.



The London Assembly is concerned that without enough three and four-bedroom family-sized homes, the problem of overcrowding will get worse in the capital.



A motion agreed today, called for the Mayor to urgently review his draft London Housing Strategy and draft London Plan to ensure that targets and provisions are made for new family-sized homes.



Andrew Boff AM, who proposed the motion said:



“The lack of liveable housing for families will make it harder for families to live in London and will result in increased overcrowding and deprivation. When Boris Johnson ran City Hall there was a target that 36% of all newly-built homes would be discounted family-sized homes. This has been scrapped by the Mayor.



The Mayor’s London Plan actually prohibits boroughs from setting family-sized homes targets. We must reintroduce our previous target to go some way to make families feel welcome in London again and give hope to those families living in overcrowded conditions.”



The full text of the motion is:



The Assembly notes with concern that a target for family-sized homes is not included in either the new draft London Housing Strategy or in the new draft London Plan.



The Assembly notes the statement in the London Plan that two-bedroom units should be ‘taken into account’ when assessing needs for family homes. It also notes the assumptions in the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) that 55% of all new homes, and 69% of low-cost rented homes, should be one-bedroom units.



In addition, the Assembly notes the potential for the loss of existing family homes under the Small Sites policy, through the presumption in favour of ‘residential conversions’ and ‘redevelopment of existing properties’.



The Assembly notes that a third of children in social housing and a quarter of children in private rented housing live in overcrowded conditions, and notes the devastating impact that overcrowding can have on children and families. The Assembly is concerned that a failure to provide sufficient family-sized homes, of three and four bedrooms, will make this problem worse and not better.



The Assembly therefore calls on the Mayor to urgently review his draft London Housing Strategy and draft London Plan, and revisit the assumptions in his Strategic Housing Market Assessment, to ensure that suitable targets and provisions are made for new family sized-homes of three and four bedrooms, and to prevent the loss of existing family homes.