London Mayor getting to grips with Housing Crisis

May 19, 2016

New London Mayor Sadiq Khan has wasted no time since taking office, he immediately  requested an urgent audit of City Hall’s readiness to tackle the housing crisis, the audit revealed what the London Mayor called the “massive scale” of the challenge ahead.

The previous Mayor Boris Johnson  came in for critiscm from Sadiq Khan for what he said was “letting Londoners down” over affordable homes.

Sadiq Khan reportedly  said: “London gave me the opportunity to go from the council estate where I grew up to being able to buy a family home we could afford. But today, too many Londoners are being priced out of our city.

“One of the first things we did when we got to City Hall was open the books and look at what was already in the pipeline, and it seems the previous mayor has grossly let down Londoners by leaving the cupboard bare when it comes to delivering affordable housing.

“I am determined to fix London’s housing crisis and ensure that all Londoners have the opportunity to rent or buy a decent home at a price they can afford, but the scale of the challenge is now clearer than ever and we’re not going to be able to turn things around overnight.

“We will be outlining our plans in the coming months, but one of the first things we can do is work with Transport for London to fast-track their numerous surplus sites for development that have previously just been sat on.

“There is no doubt we have our work cut out, but I plan to personally get to grips with the mess that has been left behind and will insist on far higher levels of affordable housing in new developments.”

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Love or Hate Rightmove
Breaking News

Average two-year fixed mortgage rate for 60% LTV now cheaper than five-year rate

The average two-year fixed mortgage rate for those with a 40% deposit (60% LTV) is now cheaper than the average five-year fixed equivalent, the first time this has happened since the mini-Budget The average two-year fixed, 60% LTV mortgage rate is now 4.18%, while the five-year equivalent is 4.19% The gap between average two-year fixed…
Read More →
Overseas Property

How UK Property Investors Can Manage Exchange Rate Risk When Buying Off-Plan Overseas

Off-plan purchases are especially common in developing overseas property markets with a high proportion of international investors. In these less mature markets, a significant share of stock is sold directly by developers, making off-plan transactions a natural sales model. These opportunities appeal to international buyers because they typically require less upfront cash due to extended…
Read More →
Breaking News

Foxtons Lettings Market Index – March 2025

London rental market gains momentum as new rental listings surge, Foxtons data shows   March saw a 14% increase in new rental listings across London compared to February Applicant registrations rose by 11% month-on-month in March. Year on year, demand was stable, tracking just 2% below March 2024 levels The average rent in March stood…
Read More →
Breaking News

UK’s mid-market firms show improved business growth in March but economic uncertainty continues

Key findings: NatWest’s Mid-market Growth Tracker shows improved business growth in March, led by a strong service sector performance SMEs register a softer decline in output levels during March Market conditions remain challenging and we could see continued challenges in the coming months   Mid-market businesses continued to outperform the wider UK economy in March,…
Read More →
Breaking News

ONS Private rent and house prices UK – April 2025

The Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR) measures private rent inflation for new and existing tenancies. The UK House Price Index measures house price inflation. Main Headlines Average UK monthly private rents increased by 7.7%, to £1,332, in the 12 months to March 2025 (provisional estimate); this annual growth rate is down from 8.1% in…
Read More →
Breaking News

Renters’ Rights Bill – what you need to know

The Renters’ Rights Bill is an extremely important piece of legislation for anyone who rents their home. For those in England (with some elements also covering Wales and Scotland), it represents one of the biggest changes in well over thirty years, and it’s important to be aware of what it might mean to you if…
Read More →