Housing

The Mayor's new powers in housing

 The Government has consulted on proposals to devolve additional powers and financial flexibility to the London Mayor, to give more influence over strategy and policy in key areas such as housing, skills, planning and waste management.

Additional powers for the Mayor and the Greater London Authority (GLA) were announced by the Department of Communities and Local Government on 13 July 2006.

This has resulted in the following:

• responsibilities of the London Housing Board have been transferred to the Mayor
• the Mayor will prepare and publish a statutory Housing Strategy for London and a strategic Housing Investment Plan
• the Mayor will decide the broad distribution of regional housing funds in line with the strategy, and will decide in broad terms how public money for new affordable housing will be spent

Meeting the challenge

The London Development Agency (LDA) is well positioned to support the new Housing Strategy and meet the new challenges that the transfer of housing powers presents.

Firstly, we will continue to bring forward land in our ownership for housing development as well as brokering solutions in other development scenarios.

Policy work is already being undertaken to ensure that the LDA's housing contribution to the Olympic Legacy will create the Mayor’s version of mixed, balanced and sustainable communities.
 
Secondly, the LDA be working closely with the Mayor's housing team to assist their work in developing and implementing the new strategy and investment plan.

A new Mayor's Housing Investment Panel and a Housing Forum have been created to take forward the implementation of the Mayor's new powers.

These changes improve the prospects of delivering the Mayor's new annual target of 30,500 homes in London, and create the platform to deliver other objectives on climate change and specifically carbon neutral housing.

Thirdly, the Agency will be supporting the Mayor's new powers through the creation of a Housing Investment Coordination Team which will help improve the use of public sector resources - land and subsidy - to effect a better investment process in London.

This will also help align economic development, transport and housing investment approaches in the future. Additional tasks will include programme management of estate renewal and other targeted funding streams.