Through effective collaboration with member Boroughs, the WLA Housing programme supports the delivery of the homes West London needs. We are committed to ensuring delivery of the right quantity and mix of housing. This supports the health and well-being of current and future residents, and the continued economic prosperity of the sub-region.
Experience shows that cross-borough working provides valuable and cost-effective support for both buildings projects and planning policies. Through our Housing programme we drive delivery of affordable housing, improved housing conditions and improved services for all our residents, whilst supporting high standards of design and environmental sustainability.
Housing need and delivery have local and wider aspects and we provide a forum in which these can be discussed and supported.
For more information or to get in touch about Housing, please contact Mike Anderson, Head of Housing and Setting the Standard on AndersonM@ealing.gov.uk
Programme Aims
New Build
Housing
To support the development of new build housing in west London to meet the identified needs of residents and to support jobs and the economy, making the most efficient use of land and ensuring high quality places people are happy to live in.
Housing
Planning Policy
To ensure decisions on housing and planning policy are informed by robust, up-to-date evidence.
Public
Land
To ensure that land that is currently in public ownership delivers best social value in terms of new affordable housing that meets identified housing needs in west London. This is delivered through the One Public Estate Programme.
Prevent &
Reduce Homelessness
To prevent & reduce homelessness and rough sleeping in the sub-region by bidding for funding, commissioning, managing and monitoring services that work best at a sub-regional and pan-London levels.
Projects
Rough Sleeping Prevention & Single Homelessness Support
We commission services to help boroughs prevent & relieve rough sleeping and single homelessness. These are our current services & the providers who deliver them:
- Somewhere Safe to Stay – St Mungo’s
- West London Women’s Service (for women experiencing or at risk of rough sleeping) – St Mungo’s
- Floating Support – Depaul UK
- HMOs for under 35s – Single Homeless Project
- Homeless Health Peer Advocacy – Groundswell
Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) 2018
In November 2018 we jointly published a West London Strategic Housing Market Assessment, which boroughs are now using to support their local plans and strategies. We also used it in our work on the draft London Plan, securing changes that will give boroughs the flexibility they need to meet local needs.
One Public Estate
Through our One Public Estate Programme, one of the largest in the country, we have successfully brought together public sector land owners in West London around a shared approach that seeks to deliver more affordable housing in West London, whilst building relationships and sharing learning.
Setting the Standard
With the support of 31 London boroughs and London Councils, the West London Alliance and its Commissioning Alliance have developed the ‘Setting the Standard’ project (STS). The purpose of the project is to ensure that where boroughs have no option but to place homeless households in B&B or HMO/studio accommodation that accommodation is inspected on at least an annual basis to ensure that ALL the required standards are met. We have been successful in attracting £236K grant funding from the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Greater London Authority (GLA) to set up the project. The on-going operational costs will be met by annual borough subscription, on a cost recovery basis.
Out of London Private Rented Accommodation
With rents in London unaffordable for many households, this service helps people to move somewhere more affordable, if they feel they do not need to remain in London. The team has two Tenancy Support Officers based in the West Midlands, who procure and inspect properties, “meet and greet” families coming to view properties and provide resettlement support to help them move in and sustain their tenancies. This includes help to claim benefits, access local services and amenities, including schools and GPs, and support with accessing employment.
The Inter Borough Accommodation Agreement (IBAA)
The inter borough accommodation agreement is a pan-London agreement between boroughs not to out-price each other in the procurement of temporary and other accommodation for homeless households. West London provides and administers the IT system that boroughs use to monitor and report on the IBA Agreement.
Achievements in numbers
5,649
homes
the number of homes to be built on public land released under our One Public Estate Programme
367
people
prevented from rough sleeping in 2018/19
£818k
grant
awarded to West London Somewhere Safe to Stay rough sleeping project by MHCLG
£186k
grants
used to improve properties for homeless families through Better Homes
Governance
This programme is overseen by the West London Housing Directors Board.
Programme partners
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