Generation Rent Responds to Election of Sadiq Khan
On Friday evening, Labour’s Sadiq Khan was elected the Mayor of London. Tenant lobby group Generation Rent has responded to the appointment, explaining what it will mean for the housing market.
With housing such a serious and widespread issue in the capital, many groups have spoken out about what the new mayor must do to help ease the chronic shortage of affordable homes.
Last week, the Director of Your Move and Reeds Rains, Adrian Gill, called on the new mayor to boost private rental supply in London. He believes that Khan must regard the private rental sector as an ally, not an enemy.
Both Khan and his main rival, Zac Goldsmith, put housing at the core of their mayoral manifestos, highlighting the importance of this continuing issue.
Khan has promised to build 80,000 new homes in London every year, 50% of which will be affordable. He plans to deliver these properties on brownfield land. Khan also hopes to form a new homes division in City Hall, set up a not-for-profit letting agency, restrict rent rises, and further invest in the London Affordable Homes programme.
The Residential Landlords Association has also recently released its own manifesto, detailing what it believes the new mayor should do for the private rental sector.
Following Khan’s appointment on Friday, Generation Rent spoke out about his responsibilities now that he is mayor.
The group’s Director, Betsy Dillner, says: “Generation Rent congratulates Sadiq Khan for winning this referendum on London’s housing crisis. The new mayor has years of underbuilding to overcome, and in the meantime, two million private renters are facing high rents and insecurity, with no way out.
“In order to improve the lives of renters, the mayor needs new powers from the Government over tenancies – something that both he and Zac Goldsmith called for. In theory, this means that all of London’s MPs, on both sides of the House, should now be clamouring for stronger rights for renters. We hope Sadiq will capitalise on this consensus.”