Housing, Inequality and London

Abstract

Regional inequalities are deeply entrenched in the UK. London, and its wider region, is often seen as the beneficiary of these inequalities. The capital houses a disproportionate share of the nation's population and its economic output. But London is also home to higher levels of inequality, poverty and child poverty than anywhere else in the country. Some of these challenges are common to other cities, but London's dysfunctional housing market plays an outsized role as a driver of inequality within the city. It is also holding back growth at a national level. The failure to deliver the housing the capital needs, whether within or across its existing boundaries, has endured across successive political regimes. It is not easy to fix, but it is vital. This article examines the role of tackling housing inequality in London and asks what policymakers might do to try and address this.