London Boroughs Launch High Court Challenge against Affordable Rent

Nine London boroughs are bringing a High Court challenge against the Mayor of London in a bid to protect genuinely affordable rents for local people. For many years, boroughs have been able to ensure new affordable housing is provided at rents local people can afford. Typically, in inner London that is 30% to 40% of market levels.  However, the mayor is seeking to impose mandatory 'affordable' rents in new housing of up to 80% of the market rate, refusing to allow boroughs to negotiate lower rents that local people can afford. The boroughs will argue that rents at 80% of market levels will be unaffordable for many local people. They are also arguing that the Mayor of London was wrong to treat London as a single housing market, when there are in fact many different housing markets across the city. Read more on 24dash.