Smaller homes 'putting the squeeze' on London's families » Communities » 24dash.com

A fall in the number of family-sized homes being built in London is contributing to an overcrowding epidemic affecting a tenth of the population, according to a report released today by the London Housing Federation and London Councils.

Over the last decade the proportion of new homes in London which have three or more bedrooms has almost halved.

In 1996, 35 per cent of new homes built in London had three or more bedrooms.

By last year the proportion had fallen to 18 per cent.

The decline in the numbers of family homes has led to the first rise in levels of overcrowding seen in London since the 1960s.

It is also forcing families with children to move out of the capital in search of a suitable home.

Nearly 800,000 people in London, including at least 260,000 children, live in overcrowded homes.

Black and minority ethnic communities are particularly severely affected.

There is evidence that overcrowding harms children's educational achievement, causes depression and family break-ups, and is a contributing factor in diseases including asthma and TB.

Overcrowding levels are particularly high in homes rented from councils and housing associations. It is estimated that London needs 8,600 new social-rented homes with four bedrooms each year to eliminate overcrowding, ten times as many as are currently being built.

Think Big: Delivering family homes for Londoners, which is launched today at the London Housing Federations Development Conference, says that the trend for building smaller homes is largely due to the high cost of land in London and the need to build at higher densities.

Two key recommendations of the report are that councils must insist that new housing schemes include more family-sized homes, and a call for the Government to fund new affordable housing on the basis of the number of people housed instead of the number of homes built. 

Berwyn Kinsey, head of the London Housing Federation, said: "London may be one of the world's most prosperous cities, but it's clear that not everyone is sharing the benefits. Overcrowding is 21st century London's shame.

"The shortage of family-sized homes is putting the squeeze on thousands of families. It's time for housing providers to think big and build the homes Londoners need."

Councillor Jamie Carswell, London Councils Executive Member for Housing, said: "London has tremendous opportunities for growth and development, but if we don't want it to become a family-free city, we have to build the housing people need.

"It is achievable, and this report shows how - but we need everyone to play their part, from councils, the Mayor of London and central government to housing associations and private developers."

Ends

Press release issued: November 21 2006