We will be pausing Key Issues in the pre-election period ahead of the upcoming London Mayoral and Assembly elections on Thursday 2 May. Your next Key Issues will be in your inbox on Wednesday 8 May. 

Following the passing of the Elections Act, London Elects is reminding Londoners of some important changes to the way they will vote, including the need to show photo ID at polling stations and a change from supplementary voting (indicating a first and second preference) to 'first past the post' in Mayoral elections. You can read more on the London Elects website here.

London Councils has expressed “extreme concern” at the government’s decision to stop letting local authorities keep all money raised from council house sales, warning that it will undermine efforts to deliver desperately needed replacement homes.

On Monday the government confirmed that its policy of allowing councils to retain 100% of Right to Buy sales receipts will not be extended beyond this month into the 2024-25 financial year. This means potentially 20-25% of the funds generated from a council home sold under Right to Buy will instead go to the Treasury.

Following the announcement, London Councils’ Executive Member for Regeneration, Housing & Planning, Cllr Darren Rodwell, said: “With London’s homelessness crisis worsening and boroughs’ temporary accommodation costs posing a critical risk to their financial stability, it’s more important than ever to invest in new social housing.

“In the capital we have over 300,000 Londoners on waiting lists for a social home, but we’re also struggling with immense pressures on boroughs’ social housing budgets and viability challenges making housebuilding increasingly difficult.

“We’re therefore extremely concerned that the government will stop letting councils keep 100% of the money raised through Right to Buy sales. This will undermine boroughs’ resources for delivering desperately needed social housing and replacing stock lost through Right to Buy. The government should be doing everything it can to boost boroughs’ ability to invest in new social homes – but instead we could see our funding reduced.”  

Parliamentarians have been debating the Spring Budget announced by the Chancellor last week. To help inform those debates London Councils briefed MPs and Peers on the main issues from the London local government perspective.

Boroughs are particularly concerned by the Budget’s lack of action on homelessness. London faces the most severe homelessness pressures in the country. One in 50 Londoners is currently homeless, with boroughs collectively spending £90m each month on temporary accommodation

While the outlook for borough finances remains challenging, London Councils welcomes the extension of the Household Support Fund at existing levels. The fund was due to end this month and its continuation was a top priority for London Councils, due to ongoing cost-of-living pressures. However, the decision to extend the fund for only six months will reduce support for vulnerable Londoners just as winter approaches.

You can read our briefing in full here.

Hundreds of refugees are sleeping rough in the capital after leaving Home Office hotels, according to new research from London Councils.

A survey organised by London Councils found 311 refugees were forced to sleep rough after eviction from Home Office accommodation in January 2024 - an increase of 234% compared to September 2023, when London Councils began its survey work.

In total, 1,087 refugees approached London homelessness services for help in January following Home Office evictions, a rise of 78% in the four months since September. This includes those rough sleeping but also those who were ‘hidden homeless’ – for example, sleeping on the floor of someone still accommodated in a Home Office hotel, or in a church, or elsewhere off the streets.

London Councils’ lead for asylum and refugees, Cllr Grace Williams, said: “The dramatic spike in refugees rough sleeping in the capital is deeply alarming.

“London is already grappling with a severe homelessness crisis. Rough sleeping among refugees puts extra pressure on already-stretched local services, but much more could be done to prevent it occurring in the first place. We are urging the government to listen to boroughs’ concerns and work with us in tackling this challenge.”

Among its policy priorities for preventing rough sleeping and homelessness, London Councils is calling on the government to commit to a 56-day ‘move-on period’ for refugees and asylum-seekers leaving Home Office accommodation, so local authorities have more time to assist with housing arrangements and reduce the risk of homelessness.

Last week saw the launch of the first Opportunity London Prospectus promoting nine capital projects with £9.6 billion of investible opportunities across inner and outer London.

London Councils is a founding member of Opportunity London, a public-private partnership aimed at driving capital investment in new homes, net zero infrastructure and economic growth.

London Councils Deputy Chair Cllr Claire Holland and Vice Chair Chris Hayward spoke at the launch, with Trade and Investment Minister Lord Johnson and Deputy Mayor for Business Howard Dawber.

The London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI) will host a Lunch & Learn session on 18 March (12-1pm) for colleagues to learn more about open innovation and how it can support the delivery of outcomes in your organisation.

Rikesh Shah, the Head of IPEC and former Head of Innovation at Transport for London, will provide a series of practical case studies and thoughts on how innovation can be embedded into organisations and create new value.

If you are interested in joining the online session you can join the guestlist here.

Congratulations to the London boroughs of Wandsworth and Haringey who have this week been announced as London Boroughs of Culture for 2025 and 2027 respectively. Each will receive £1.35 million in funding from City Hall to support a year of cultural activities

Three other boroughs – Barnet, Merton and Greenwich - were named as the Mayor’s Cultural Impact Award winners and will receive up to £200,000 to deliver cultural projects.