By : Lucy Williamson
The pandemic may help to solve London’s housing crisis, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has said.
As companies decide to make working from home a permanent fixture, the office’s left behind may be snapped up and converted to housing.
And while those in Mayfair, the City of London or Canary Wharf may be more likely destined for luxury apartments, the Mayor says builders must agree to provide affordable housing elsewhere.
In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Mirror, Mr Khan said: “This could be the way to meet much of the need.”
He said he is determined to stay ahead of the seismic shift brought about by the pandemic.
But while London remains desperate for new homes, Mr Khan warns converting offices to residential use should only be done with caution.
He said: “We shouldn’t base permanent change on temporary behaviour.”
He added: “The last 16 months have left people thinking about their work-life balance.
“Many Londoners who worked in hospitality and culture returned to mum and dad in Yorkshire or
Lancashire or Manchester or Newcastle. Some of them will return when the jobs come back.”
The Housing crisis was a key issue in the last mayoral election, with Mr Khan previously pledging to prevent Londoners from being “priced out of our city”.
London rents have fallen since the start of the pandemic but only because so many tenants have lost their jobs or are on reduced wages. For the majority, the landlord’s monthly take still leaves them with little left over for a deposit.
But first, in a bounce-back initiative he refers to as “boomerang London”, Mr Khan has spent £7 million on a campaign to reboot the city’s tourism – starting with Brits who have been getting stir-crazy at home.
“You won’t have to compete with foreign tourists for tickets to the theatre, bookings in restaurants or going to museums.https://get-latest.convrse.media/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mylondon.news%2Fnews%2Fzone-1-news%2Fpandemic-solve-housing-crisis-says-21320549&cre=center&cip=22&view=web
“This is the opportunity to jump the queue – and it’s really important to us.”
Mr Khan is spending £7million on an ad campaign to attract visitors.