Much still to do in tackling London's housing crisis - Mike Tuffrey

2.23.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 10th Jun 2010

Mike Tuffrey AM, Liberal Democrat London Assembly housing spokesperson, commenting on the Mayor's announcement that in the last two years 26,014 affordable homes have been delivered in London said:

"The Mayor promised Londoners that we would deliver 50,000 homes in just three years. The harsh fact is that the Mayor is still running well behind his initial pledge.

"Sadly the public funding crisis left by the last Labour government means tough times lie ahead. Yet with confidence returning to the housing market the private sector should be delivering far more. Indeed only yesterday the Mayor admitted that little progress has been made in attracting private investment into many publicly owned sites in the capital.

"With the public finances in such a dire state and with so much public land remaining empty it is has never been more important to make real progress in allowing private investment to unleash far more affordable rented housing."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

At yesterday's Mayor Question Time Mike Tuffrey questioned the Mayor over institutional investment in private rental in relation to six sites owned by the Housing Community Agency in London. The Mayor admitted that the HCA, which he chairs, has "not made as much progress as it should have done."

Mike Tuffrey's question to the Mayor can be seen at 2 hours, 26 minutes, 20 seconds of the webcast of the meeting:

http://www.london.gov.uk/who-runs-london/the-london-assembly/webcasts