London Housing Panel

London doesn’t have enough homes. And the homes that are available are often too expensive. Too many Londoners are priced out of a decent place to live or are stuck in low-quality accommodation.

We believe that the people most affected by these problems should have a say in how they’re addressed. The London Housing Panel brings the views of its members to the table and makes sure they're heard by the people who make decisions.

The panel is made up of organisations from across London, each bringing a different perspective. It meets with decision-makers from the Greater London Authority (GLA) to talk about what London needs.

These conversations mean that the GLA can hear a different point of view when making decisions about housing in London – and that these decisions are informed by the people they affect the most.

Trust for London jointly funds the London Housing Panel with the GLA. It's currently funded until March 2025.

The London Housing Panel is made up of 15 groups and organisations that want the diverse voices of different housing experiences in London to influence the Mayor’s policies. The panel carries out its work in collaboration with the Greater London Authority (GLA), Trust For London and with community partners.

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Objectives

To ensure that the Mayor’s policies on housing reflect the needs of those Londoners who have been disadvantaged and/or are living vulnerably.
To add weight to the Mayor’s work when it fits with the values and purpose of our work and the needs of our communities.
To support and challenge the Mayor in thinking differently about the housing solutions and options that will most benefit those who are living in poverty.
Where relevant, to make connections between housing and other related issues such as welfare reform, health and wellbeing, and the environment.

Priorities

The panel meets four times a year with GLA officers and the Deputy Mayor with responsibility for housing. The panel's priorities are to:

Massively increase social housing supply.
Support all Londoners to be heard and thrive.
Take action on temporary accommodation.

Some of the panel's work takes place in small working groups, looking at issues like housing supply and temporary accommodation. These groups gather evidence, hear from other community partners and jointly identify areas where we can achieve change.

The panel is also currently looking at issues around race equity in housing and how to increase the ways that Londoners’ voices are heard.

How policy makers work can with us

By working with the London Housing Panel, politicians and the GLA are committing to develop policy with the involvement of groups from across London’s diverse communities.

To make our work with them effective, the panel asks that politicians and officers:

Involve us as early as possible in policy development and then keep us involved.
Keep us informed about how contributions have been used.
Ensure that communities have the data and information they need in order to meaningfully take part in policy development work.

Panel successes

The London Housing Panel has already progressed some important housing issues.

Prioritising the increase of social homes: We've influenced the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme by strongly and consistently prioritising the need for more social rented homes.

Equality, diversity and inclusion commitments: Our work with the GLA means that, for the first time, equality diversity and inclusion (EDI) commitments are required from any new partners who receive investment on the Affordable Homes Programme. Using our expertise in this area, we've helped the GLA to develop these requirements.
Action on temporary accommodation: We've driven the creation of a pioneering collaboration on temporary accommodation between the panel, the GLA and London Councils.

Building relationships

The independent chair of the London Housing Panel has a seat on the Mayor of London’s Homes for Londoners Board, and is able to raise issues from the Panel at this forum, as well as liaising directly with other board members.

The London Housing Panel has good working relationships with London Assembly committees, in particular the Housing and the Planning and Regeneration Committees.

What we're working on

Meet the chair

"The London Housing Panel has so much to offer in terms of raising the voices of underrepresented people so that they are heard by policymakers, and in turn directly help meet people’s housing needs.

Having lived in London for nearly all of my life and worked to deliver homes and housing for over 30 years, I'm really excited and honoured to take on this role as the new Chair.

Through working with the Greater London Authority and London Councils I hope that we'll be able to help shape the agenda for delivering homes in London and ensure that the advice given by the panel members emerging from their own issues and lived experiences can be the basis for future policies and can have a genuine impact."

Dinah Roake, chair

London Housing Panel announces new chair