On 20 June 2016, the RGS-IBG held a Policy Forum, as part of our 21^st Century Challenges programme, to discuss how to deliver timely, affordable and sustainable housing in London.

This event was attended by almost one hundred director-level representatives from a range of sectors including local and national government, think tanks, leading academic institutions, housing associations and professional bodies in house building and planning. More information about the event, including outputs from the evening, can be found here.

Delegates who attended the Policy Forum shared their recommendations on how Sadiq Khan, as Mayor of London, could deliver the required 50,000 new homes¹ in London, every year for five years, 50% of which he pledged would be ‘genuinely affordable’. A quarter of the delegates provided a written response to the question, the majority of whom felt the goal was unachievable. However, recommendations on how progress could be made fell under five general themes.

The themes were:

1. Radical policy change from central government.
2. Devolution of powers to the Mayor of London.
3. Fiscal and strategic measures required in London.
4. Increasing the supply of land, including from the green belt.
5. Increasing the diversity of supply.

A full report of the recommendations proposed can be accessed here:

Recommendations to the Mayor of London: how to address the housing crisis. Full Report 2016

1. Sadiq Khan for London (2016) Homes for Londoners.