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Ken pledge for 50,000 extra low-cost homes
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor31.03.08
A record number of low-cost homes were built in London in the past year, Ken Livingstone revealed today as he unveiled his housing manifesto.
At least 13,500 "affordable" flats and houses were completed in the past 12 months - more than double the rate of the year before he was elected Mayor, Mr Livingstone said.
He announced the latest figure at the launch of his 18-point plan to put more new homes up for sale and rent to those on the lowest incomes in the capital.
His key pledges are to build 50,000 more low-cost homes in the next three years and to set a target of making 50 per cent of all new housing in London affordable.
Mr Livingstone pointed out that his Tory rival Boris Johnson has vowed to abolish the 50 per cent target, a move that he said would cause "immense damage" to Londoners' chances of getting on the housing ladder.
Unveiling his plans in Tower Hamlets, the Mayor also threatened a showdown with boroughs that failed to hit his targets on building cheaper homes.
He said that only 11 per cent of new homes built in the Tory-controlled borough of Wandsworth in 2006-07 were affordable while Conservative-run Westminster also had 11 per cent.
The Mayor argued that his planning policies had led to a near doubling of the number of new homes built since he took office - from 17,000 in 2000 to 33,000 last year.
But he said that the 114 per cent rise in affordable homes built by housing associations - from 6,300 in 2000 to 13,500 for last year - had been even more impressive. Of the "affordable" homes in 2007-08, just under half were for sharedownership, while the rest were for rent.
He said: "I am determined that the thousands of young people who cannot get on the property ladder will have the chance to own their own homes, unlike Boris Johnson whose policies would have the effect of concentrating housing in high priced and luxury development, pricing housing out of the hands of ordinary Londoners.
"You can see what his plans would mean by looking at the record of his political friends. In 2006-07 Tory Wandsworth built just 11 per cent affordable homes; Tory Westminster built just 16 new shared ownership homes; Tory Barnet just eight and Tory Hillingdon just three. Allowing, in fact encouraging, this to go on would be a slap in the face for young Londoners desperate to get on the property ladder.
"I will not hesitate to intervene where councils are putting politics or the interest of developers in front of those waiting for homes."
Among the key points of Mr Livingstone's housing manifesto are:
• use the Mayor's powers to prevent councils approving too many luxury homes.
• 50,000 new affordable homes over the next three years.
• cut in half the number of homeless households in temporary accommodation by 2012.
• ensure a much larger proportion of new homes for rent are family-sized, three bedrooms or more.
• for those on higher incomes, promote private sector and pension fund investment in new shared ownership schemes.
• working with councils to force private landlords to take part in tenant deposit protection schemes.
Reader views (11)
There are plenty of empty flats in Thamesmead in fact the people living there can't get out quick enough.
Perhaps Ken will give away stab proof vests to go with all these affordable homes.
- Kenherts, Enfield
"Of the "affordable" homes in 2007-08, just under half were for shared ownership, while the rest were for rent."
Is this some kind of con?
Affordable housing to me means being able to buy a house, my own house. Shared ownership is not the same thing. What is the point of owning 30% of a house?
The rest were for rent - for how much?
Affordable housing sounds great until you start to look behind the hype.
- Sarah N., London, UK
If Jasper Lee earns £112K and pays only £80 per week for rent, he pays the same ratio as a pensioner on pension credit (no savings) does, so if they build lots of new homes who is to say they wont just be rented out to Ken's cronies?(regardless of the excessive salaries he pays them!)
- Iceni, Haringey
Careful, Ken's behind in the polls; over the next month each of us is going to be promised the moon.
- Rm, London, UK
Ken is a man who speaks his mind. So he won't be too turned off by Wally's outburst will he?
After all, we are still a democracy!
- Peter Seekings-Foster, Muildenhall, Suffolk
When the out-going mayor keeps saying "affordable", what is the figure £50,000, £100,000, as for his comment about "immense damage to Londoners trying to get on the housing market" I think that boat sailed about 4 years ago.
- David, London
Ditto the last post. Why have single middle class Londoners been marginalised and pushed to the sidelines. We work f/t, pay our taxes but yet our reward for this is to be excluded from any "affordable" housing. Would Mr Livingstone or Mr Johnson like to comment, or has the exclusion of single middle class Londoners really become such an embarrassment for these policy makers?
- Pacman, London, UK
Are these new housing for Jasper's off-springs as we know who gets cheap accommodation in this town.
The Mayor wants to encourage people to purchase their housing, but I am sorry to say the people in needs of cheap accommodation probably cannot afford the purchase. So I guess these will be sold by developers at inflated rate so that they can make an instant profit, and for the one who dreamt about getting on the ladder, they will be repossessed in a few years time, so that the developers can cash in a second time.
- Lauren, London UK
Please do not neglect their parking, security and ample square feet for the layouts themselves.
- Lambros, London UK
Sound public policy if only the whole debate was on real issues like this.
- Joshua Fenton-Glynn, London
And what about the hard working singles and couples who flog their guts out each day working in London who aren't eligible but cant even afford to rent a flat just because they have chosen not to produce a spawn of children and live off the welfare state.
- Wally, London
