The London Assembly has called on Mayor Boris Johnson to solve the housing crisis by using profits from the capital’s buses and underground system.
In particular, it wants the Mayor to crack down on rogue landlords and agents, and investigate ways of controlling rent rises.
Assembly members have agreed a motion urging the Mayor to use surplus revenue from Transport for London.
The motion calls for more affordable housing to be built, plus the creation of a ‘know your rights’ website for private tenants.
It also calls for the Mayor to work with councils to crack down on rogue landlords and investigate the creation of a London-wide public lettings agency, which would offer longer tenancies and lower fees.
The motion was proposed by Stephen Knight and seconded by Nicky Gavron, who once stood as a mayoral candidate.
Knight said: “London needs a massive increase in the number of new affordable homes to ensure that Londoners can find a good place to live at a reasonable price, and stop them being ripped off by rogue landlords and dodgy letting agents.
“The money is out there. Over each of the last three years alone, Transport for London’s unbudgeted surpluses have topped a quarter of a billion pounds and it is time that cash was put to work easing the housing crisis.
“The Mayor must recognise that housing is the biggest economic and social challenge facing London today. He has the tools – it’s time he got to work.”
Comments
We were officially born in 1967 and we're still building in MK
This is the typical junior politician answer for everything when they are desperate to get a soundbite out there - 'lets throw some money around, that will fix it'
Call on Mr Knight in particular to explain in detail what he is banging on about?
Using unsubstantiated sound bites and displaying his own ignorance Mr Knight knows why rents are high, a shortage of supply but then wants to blame unproven stereotypes for the shortfall.
How on earth do these people end up in the positions they do and why is such ignorance and incompetence tolerated?
If the authority pull down a tower block of 100, 600 sqft flats that has a foundation footprint of 3000sqft where does Mr Knight suggest Boris build 100 homes with a foundation foot print of 30,000 sqft. Only 12 homes will get crammed into an acre so in real terms which Royal Park or leafy suburb is going to get developed to provide the additional accommodation.
It is all very well having the cash to build new property but that is bugger all use if it gets spent on lengthy public enquiries following objections from suburbanites.
Milton Keynes was built to tackle this very same issue, how many years ago?
Idiots!!!