These fresh grants cement the council housing comeback in London, with more than four in 10 of the homes being built by councils, totalling 12,024 homes.
More than half of the social rented homes will be built by councils, and 57% of all homes will be for social rent.
A further £5.2bn was announced by the Government today for affordable homes to be delivered outside London by Homes England, but details have yet to be released.
The Mayor’s new 2021-26 programme – running alongside the extended 2016-23 programme – will see 79,000 new homes started over the next five years.
In total, almost six in ten of the homes (16,739 homes) funded by the first round of this affordable homes programme will be made available at the cheapest social rent.
The remainder will be for shared ownership and London Living Rent which can help Londoners on average incomes move into homeownership.
The Mayor has set ambitious targets for London to be a zero-carbon city by 2030 and expects homes built with funding announced today to be environmentally sustainable.
New standards introduced in the Mayor’s New London Plan include requirements for all developments of ten or more homes to be net zero-carbon and to incorporate sustainable urban green spaces.
Housing providers building homes funded by the new AHP will also have to meet new conditions on building safety and design.
AHP funding project conditions
1. The installation of sprinklers or other fire suppression systems in new blocks of flats
2. A ban on combustible materials being used in external walls for all residential development, regardless of height
3. Minimum floor-to-ceiling heights and a requirement for private outdoor space
4. A ‘sunlight clause’ requiring all homes with three or more bedrooms to be dual aspect, any single aspect one- or two-bedroom homes to not be north-facing and at least one room to have direct sunlight for at least part of the day
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “I am delighted that we have been able to come to a deal with the Government to get started on nearly 30,000 genuinely affordable homes.
“Today’s funding is good news but I know we can still go further, faster, working with ministers, housing associations and councils to deliver more of the homes Londoners so desperately need.”
