Livingstone has doubled low-cost homebuilding

The number of low-cost homes being built in London has doubled since Ken Livingstone became mayor, he revealed yesterday.

Livingstone said that at least 13,500 affordable flats and houses were built by housing associations in the past 12 months, compared with 6,300 in 2000.

He announced the figure at the launch of an 18-point plan to sell more new homes and rent to those on the lowest incomes.

The plan's aims include: using mayoral powers to prevent councils approving too many luxury homes; building 50,000 affordable homes over the next three years; and halving the number of homeless households in temporary accommodation by 2012.

Livingstone said that mayoral election rival Boris Johnson had vowed to abolish the 50% target, which would cause “immense damage” to Londoners.

The mayor also criticised Conservative-run boroughs Wandsworth and Westminster because just 11% of new homes there are affordable.

The key points of Livingstone's housing manifesto are:

o Use the mayor's powers to prevent councils approving too many luxury homes

o Build 50,000 new affordable homes over the next three years

o Halve the number of homeless households in temporary accommodation by 2012

o Ensure that a larger proportion of new homes for rent have three bedrooms or more

o Promote private-sector and pension fund investment in shared-ownership schemes

o Work with councils to make private landlords use tenant deposit-protection schemes.