The shortage of housing in London is a hot topic. Affordable places to live are a major factor in people’s decisions about moving to the capital. At Clarendon we often house families looking for places to stay when they relocate to the UK capital. A serviced apartment provides space in a central location and is ideal as a temporary base for an extended stay. So how will housing plans affect people living and working in London?
Mayor of London Boris Johnson has unveiled nine zones within the city to invest for housing. A shortage of affordable homes means there are concerns that the capital will be a place that people can’t afford to live and that will affect its economy and strength. More homes means more schools, restaurants and helps to boost business as well.
The nine zones include parts of West and South London where existing estates will be expanded and regenerated. The plans suggest that 28,000 homes will be fast tracked through the planning system.
It’s predicted the population of London is set to grow even further. This month it reached a record high of over 8.6 million. With increased global and domestic travel that’s a lot of people to house. Heathrow recently saw a boost in passenger numbers which means people are looking for somewhere to stay on a medium or long term basis and London needs to find space for them all.
As a provider of serviced apartments, Clarendon often houses those looking for extended stay accommodation and the places they are looking to live has shifted over the past decade. Whereas once people were more keen to stay in the centre of the capital now they are moving more to the outskirts like Richmond, Kew, Ealing and Staines. We have supported this shift by creating serviced apartment properties in these places, giving guests more choice. Outer London is becoming more appealing; it is easy to commute to the bustling offices in the centre of the capital but for those with families pets, or who are looking for a slower pace of life these outskirts are more popular.
When families are relocating, a serviced apartment often offers an attractive stop gap. It means they can live in the capital, get to know a suburb or area of town and settle in before they make the investment in a more permanent family home.
As London continues to grow, attracting workers from all over the world, housing will become increasingly important, especially finding and building spaces that are affordable to live in and enable young workers to have a higher standard of quality of life when they are working and living in London.