Crisis responds to Government and City Hall announcement on affordable housebuilding targets in London
23.10.2025
Today (Thursday 23rd October) the Government and City Hall have announced a package of measures that includes a reduction in affordable homes requirements to access faster planning permission in London from 35% to 20%, and access to grant funding for half of the affordable homes on these sites.
Developers will also be given relief from the Community Infrastructure Levy which is spent on improvements to infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and transport for new developments on sites with at least 20% affordable homes. The package's stated aim is to speed up delivery of housing in London.
Matt Downie, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: “The Government has said they want to end the moral stain of homelessness. We back them to the hilt in that ambition – but we have real concerns that the solution they are presenting here doesn’t come close to addressing the scale of the problem. Over the years we’ve seen how fiddling with targets and putting faith in market forces leads to nowhere near enough social rent homes being built. The stark and shameful truth of this is record levels of homelessness.
“Government needs to think bigger and bolder. We need cast iron guarantees that social house building will happen at scale. In London we are now in a situation where nearly £5 million is being spent every day by councils – and, by extension, taxpayers - on temporary accommodation for people experiencing homelessness. Added to this, more than 13,000 slept rough in the capital in 2024/25.
“Without the social housing required to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place, the Government risks just propping up a broken system that is not only a ‘moral stain’ on the country, but which also makes no sense for the country’s finances.”
ENDS
References
- Nearly £5 million on temporary accommodation in London: Borough homelessness costs soar to £5.5 million a day | London Councils – Home
- More than 13,000 slept rough in London in 2024/25 - Greater London bulletin 2024-25.pdf