Marvin OnumonuThe London Assembly has called on the Mayor to secure more affordable housing for NHS and London Ambulance Service staff, as front-line workers are increasingly being priced out of the communities they serve.
Members said there is still a shortage of suitable homes for key workers, despite progress on key worker living rent schemes.
Sem Moema, assembly member, said: “NHS staff like London Ambulance Service workers keep our city going, yet too many are being priced out of the communities they serve.
“Without genuinely affordable, accessible housing for key workers, London risks losing the skilled and dedicated staff our health services depend on.
“We must act now to ensure they can live near their workplaces and continue delivering the care Londoners rely on every day.”
The assembly agreed the Mayor should use his role as chair of the London health board to work with the NHS, setting a minimum threshold for future developments on NHS-owned land to be reserved for front-line staff.
Members said more affordable homes need to be built close to workplaces and the Mayor should support a London Ambulance Service Housing Strategy.
The assembly also called for direct engagement with NHS unions to make sure housing policies meet the needs of staff.
Members said the London Estates Delivery Unit should publish details of all NHS land sales where healthcare worker accommodation was not required or not delivered, before it closes next year.
Changes to planning laws were said to have made the situation worse in London, while the NHS in the capital has the highest vacancy rate of any region, putting stability and experience at risk.
