G15 stresses sector’s ‘desperate need for certainty’ and calls for 10-year rent settlement

fiona fletcher-smith index

London’s largest housing associations has warned that to continue delivering affordable homes, it needs rent policy certainty

The G15 has today published a report urging the new government to provide clarity on how much rent social landlords will be able to charge over the next decade.

The report highlights that housing associations save Londoners £4.8bn a year in rent and stresses that landlords require rent policy certainty to continue building new affordable homes, improving existing properties, and addressing the housing crisis.

Since the Conservative-led coalition government reduced funding for social housing by 60% in 2010, housing associations have become more dependent on income from private loans and surpluses generated by selling and renting homes on the private market.

However, the group of London’s largest housing associations emphasised that social housing rents remain their primary source of revenue, which is used to finance upgrades to existing homes and help fund the construction of new social housing.

>> See also: G15 warns social landlords need ‘sufficient time’ to prepare for access to information rules

>> See also: G15 and Housing Today to partner at Westminster event in September

Fiona Fletcher-Smith, chair of the G15 and chief executive of L&Q, said that “London is built on a vibrant mix of people from all walks of life, but the capital is increasingly unaffordable for many”.

A study of rents across the city found that Londoners need to be earning £76,261 a year to afford the average private rent in the

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