London needs to allow more high-rise buildings in areas with strong public infrastructure, a think tank has recommended.
Centre for London said this could be achieved by enhancing compulsory purchase orders for local councils.
The think tank said Outer London in particular needs to densify, while it can use the success of Croydon’s 2022 small sites scheme as inspiration.
The organisation added there is also a dire need to increase local housing allowance rates in London, which currently cover just 5% of private rented properties.
The benefit is supposed to cover the cheapest 30% of rents in the capital.
The think tank was responding to the Mayor of London’s consultation for ‘Towards the London Plan’ – a plan on developing the capital in the next 20-25 years.
Antonia Jennings, chief executive at Centre for London, said: “The first step of the London plan is now underway – but there’s years to go until we receive the final document.
“Strategic planning decisions are vital, but this needs to be balanced with immediate action for those struggling now.
“As we in the city work in the background on long-term planning across the next two decades, we look to national government to make short-term policy changes particularly for those facing acute housing issues now.”
Centre for London called for all levels of government to recognise that London is the epicentre of the housing crisis in the UK, and therefore needs substantial backing.
The think tank quoted statistics: One in four Londoners are in poverty once they pay for housing, there are 62,000 households living in temporary accommodation, and some 366,000 Londoners are on the social housing waiting list, more than the number of households in Leeds.
In terms of other measures, Centre for London said the London plan needs to include collaboration with areas just outside of the city, as there’s likely to be new commuter towns growing outside of the M25 due to the limited space that exists inside the capital.
Jennings added: “London’s housing crisis needs to be addressed from all angles, from spatial planning documents such as the London Plan, to increases in the Affordable Homes Programme as seen in the Spending Review, to an overhaul of our skills system to encourage workers to enter our development sector.
“We’re moving in the right direction, with a clear prioritisation of housing from national and regional government. But we need to sustain this effort to begin to turn the tide on London’s housing crisis.”