Two reports aim to provide best practice guidance on housing access for the deaf and disabled in the capital
Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has published two reports aimed at helping meet targets for accessible housing for deaf and disabled Londoners.
Best practice guidance on designing wheelchair accessible homes is set out for planners and developers in 鈥榃heelchair accessible housing鈥�, out today.
The second report, 鈥楬ousing choice for disabled Londoners鈥�, outlines the actions social landlords and other stakeholders must take to give disabled a wider range of housing options.
The guidance aims to boost efforts to achieve the goals of the Mayor鈥檚 spatial development strategy, The London Plan.
Livingstone said: 鈥淭he severe shortage of accessible homes in the capital means that disabled Londoners are twice as likely to be living in unsuitable homes which is an appalling inequality we must address.
鈥淏oth reports support the practical delivery of my Housing Strategy and commitment to ensure that disabled Londoners have greater choice and access to homes that are suitable for them to lead independent lives.鈥�
The news comes two days after an independent study indicated The London Plan鈥檚 energy policies were succeeding in cutting CO2 emissions in new developments.
The report, carried out for the GLA by London South Bank University, said in general the Mayor鈥檚 policies had been 鈥渉ighly successful鈥� in reducing expected energy consumption.
Greenpeace policy director Douglas Parr welcomed the news, saying 鈥淟ondon has shown that strong local policies can make developers and builders actually change the way they work to reduce carbon emissions.鈥�
