The capital's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games includes a plan to build 15,000 affordable homes in the east of London.
The homes will be built whether or not the Olympic bid succeeds.

They form part of the wider regeneration of more than 600 ha of land in the Lower Lea Valley in east London, one of the largest regeneration projects in the country. This will result in the building of 30,000 homes overall, with 40,000 jobs expected to be created from more than 1000 new businesses.

This plan will bolster that unveiled last week by prime minister Tony Blair for the same area, which is one of five key Thames Gateway development zones identified by the government in its progress statement last Wednesday.

The regeneration will be funded by Londoners' council tax, lottery funding and London Development Agency money, plus £56.8m from the Communities Plan.

A consortium led by EDAW will build the scheme.

Meanwhile, the Government Office for London and London's regional housing board have published the £1.1bn London Housing Strategy.

Its priorities include reducing non-decent social housing stock by 45% by 2005/06 and building 10,000 affordable homes a year by 2006.

Sue Ellenby, head of the London Housing Federation, said: "We welcome the strategy, but have concerns about the provision for vulnerable people in London."

Source

Housing Today