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London mayor, Boris Johnson, has pledged to plug a funding ‘gap' for social housing in the capital, which he claimed emerged after ministers ‘reneged on promises' to finance crucial upgrades across six boroughs. Mr Johnson maintains London, which he argues has the ‘greatest national housing need', is the only region of the country that saw its funding cut under government plans to bring forward £1.5bn to boost UK house building. Housing minister, John Healey, announced his plan to kick-start house-building programmes across the regions last month, but made it clear the cash would be drawn from existing housing plans. Mr Johnson said generous new settlements in regions such as the North East had largely been funded by cuts to Decent Homes budgets earmarked for ALMOS covering six councils – Havering, Lambeth, Lewisham, Redbridge, Sutton and Tower Hamlets. Havering LBC claimed it had lost £30m over two years as part of the revised allocation. But Mr Healey said the six boroughs would have their allocations restored, if they met a core performance standard. The funding row has now escalated into a political run-in between Labour ministers and the Conservative mayor. But while the political fists fly, Mr Johnson has vowed to cover any shortfalls in the capital. In a letter sent to Mr Healey on 23 July, Mr Johnson writes: ‘I am particularly concerned about your decision to raid the budgets of London's ALMOs, reneging on promises made to thousands of tenants to improve the basic condition of their home. ‘I intend to make good those promises to Londoners, even if the Government appears unwilling to do so, and will be instructing the London Homes and Communities Agency to ensure that funding is available in this year and 2010/11 for ALMOs which meet the two-star standard from the additional NAHP resources you announced.'

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Boris 'will plug funding gap'

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