Assessing delivery, needs and challenges of the Mayor’s Affordable Homes

This report from the London Assembly Housing Committee has warned the London’s affordable housing system is failing to keep up with need, despite the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme. It found that certain types of housing are in particularly short supply, including family-sized rent homes and accessible homes for deaf and disabled Londoners.

In a wide-ranging report, it also raises concerns about the growing pressure in supported housing providers. It calls for a targeted approach to funding affordable housing so that investment reflects London’s most urgent needs. In relation to accessible and supported housing it recommends that:

The Mayor should set targets for accessible homes and includes details of the accessible homes delivered through the programme, broken down by tenure, in the GLA’s monitoring reports going forward
he Mayor’s next Affordable Homes Programme should include clear targets for the number of affordable homes delivered that meet accessibility standard M4(2), M4(3)(a) and M4(3)(b), broken down by tenure
The GLA should provide an uplift on grant rates for the delivery of accessible homes under the 2026-36 programme
The Government should include revenue funding in the Affordable Homes Programme, specifically to enable the GLA to provide essential funding to supported housing providers where appropriate.

Other recommendations in the report include:

Improving support for councils to acquire existing homes for social rent, as a faster way to increase supply
Requiring better monitoring and reporting on homes delivered for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, to ensure commitments translate into delivery
Securing sustainable funding for supported housing, including revenue funding alongside capital investment