The Mayor’s affordable housing targets – a progress update

The Mayor was granted £4.82 billion in government funding to build affordable homes in London and he committed to build 116,000 by 2022, which has been extended to 2023. He then received a further £4 billion for the new Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) for 2021-26, where he committed to 35,000 affordable housing starts and a greater proportion of homes for social rent.

The London Assembly Housing Committee has published its annual 'Affordable Housing Monitor' for 2021-22. The report tracks how much progress the Mayor has made in delivering affordable homes in London.

Key statistics in the report include:

• In order to meet the target of 116,000 homes, the Mayor will need to build a record number of 25,000 (22 per cent) homes in 2022-23.
• Since 2015, 91,000 homes have been started towards the 2016-23 target (78 per cent).
• No homes have yet been started from the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme.
• There were 10,252 affordable completions in London in 2021-22. 
• An estimated 8,329 people were recorded as sleeping rough in London in 2021-22, although this is a 24 per cent decrease compared to 11,018 people seen in 2020-21, it is still 29 per cent higher than the total of 6,437 people recorded rough sleeping in London ten years ago, in 2012-13. 

The report concludes:

• The Mayor has started a record number of homes this year, at 18,722 homes.
• But this will have to be surpassed in the final year of the programme - a record 25,000 homes in 2022-23 in order to reach the Mayor's target of 116,000 starts. This represents a 33 per cent increase. 
• London needs around 31,000 homes each year at social rent levels.
• The Mayor has emphasised that the new AHP for 2021-26 will deliver more homes at social rent level, with over half of the 35,000 starts expected to be of this tenure type. However, there will be 70 per cent fewer houses built under the AHP during 2021-26 compared to the previous programme. 

Sem Moema AM, Chair of the London Assembly Housing Committee, said:

"Many Londoners struggle to get onto the housing ladder and affordability has worsened more than anywhere else in the country, driven largely by house prices increasing faster than earnings. In the current climate, these concerns are even more serious. But Londoners, of all ages and no matter what they earn, have the right to live in a safe, affordable and good quality home.

"This pressing need is one of the Mayor's most important priorities. While headway has been made by the Mayor in building the affordable homes the capital needs, progress is still needed.

"It is critical that we have the right mix of homes, across all tenures, including much needed family-sized homes. Many Londoners are forced to live in overcrowded homes, which are too small for their needs. However, there is a lack of data on this particular issue at a London-wide level, which would be useful to have.
 
"The Mayor, the Government, councils and the housing sector must work collectively to provide the homes Londoners need and the Mayor sits at the very helm. We look forward to questioning his representative, the Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development and other guests at today's meeting on how efforts will be stepped up, to ensure that the targets the Mayor has committed to are entirely met."

Today, the Housing Committee will discuss London's housing situation and scrutinise the findings in the Affordable Housing Monitor with the Mayor's team, including whether the Mayor will reach his commitment to start 116,000 homes by March 2023.  

The guests are:

• Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development
• Natalie Daniels, Assistant Director Housing, GLA
• Francesca Lewis, Head of Housing Strategy, GLA
• Andrew Williams, Head of Programme Management, GLA

The meeting will take place on Tuesday, 18th October at 10.00am in The Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, London E16 1ZE.

Media and members of the public are invited to attend.

The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.

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