A version of this blog first appeared on the Municipal Journal

Last week, Government Ministers appeared before the Communities and Local Government Select Committee to answer questions on what their departments are doing to tackle homelessness.

The evidence session was part of the current inquiry into homelessness, being undertaken by the CLG Select Committee. The first of its kind for ten years, this inquiry presents a valuable opportunity to take stock of what is driving homelessness in this country and … Read more

It’s fair to say that the political importance of housing in London has increased dramatically in recent years.

When voters went to the polls in 2012, housing wasn’t at the forefront of their minds. At least not according to polling data, which showed that Londoners placed housing fourth down the list of political issues facing the capital. It ranked behind jobs, crime and transport.

Fast-forward four years, and we’ve just wrapped up an election referred to by the winner … Read more

For whoever becomes Mayor of London in May, housing will undoubtedly be their most important challenge.

Whilst the candidates are agreed on the scale of the problem, with all committing to build 50,000 new homes a year over the next ten years, the trickier question of where the homes will be built has yet to be answered adequately by any of them.

A new report published today by Shelter, in partnership with property development consultancy Quod, evaluates a number of … Read more