Capital’s mayor said 200 factory-built homes will ease pressure on local councils
Sadiq Khan has pledged £11m to an initiative which plans to build up to 200 affordable temporary modular homes for rent across the capital.
Describing the rise in homelessness in recent years as a “national disgrace” the London mayor said the use of modular construction and temporarily vacant sites would help to ease some of the pressure on local councils “and make a real difference to the families involved.”
The initiative is run by the Pan-London Accommodation Collaborative Enterprise (Place), a not-for-profit company hosted by Tower Hamlets on behalf of those councils involved.
Place, which is aiming to deliver two and three-bedroom homes, is supported by the umbrella body London Councils and has been developed by the London Housing Directors’ Group.
Boroughs wanting to use the scheme will need to identify a suitable – temporary – site and join Place, which will then procure the modular housing units and manage the installation process.
It will rent homes to boroughs at 90% of the 2011 Local Housing Allowance rate, where tenants can claim for council-let temporary accommodation, providing what the mayor said was “a less expensive option for local authorities”.
London Councils said the homes were expected to be started onsite by January 2021.
The funding is from the Innovation Fund (for non-standard affordable housing products), which forms part of the Homes for Londoners: Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21.
Councillor Rachel Blake, Tower Hamlets’ deputy mayor for regeneration and air quality said: “With London’s temporary housing crisis getting worse, this funding is very welcome and will support local authorities to collaborate.
“It’s really exciting news and a big boost to an important project that will provide innovative solutions to homelessness in Tower Hamlets.”
The mayor’s office said details about the manufacturer of the homes would be announced in due course.
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