New research reveals just 5% of private rental listings in London are affordable to low-income households using Local Housing Allowance (LHA) to pay their rent.

The study also provides robust evidence that London’s private rented sector (PRS) has shrunk in size, with Londoners finding it increasingly difficult to secure PRS housing.

Cllr Grace Williams, London Councils’ Executive Member for Housing & Regeneration, said: “These stark figures are the latest evidence of the massive pressures faced by low-income private renters in the capital.

“London’s homelessness emergency is fundamentally driven by the chronic shortage of affordable housing. There are 2.7 million people relying on privately rented housing in the capital. The falling number of privately rented homes and worsening shortage of affordable accommodation are an urgent challenge for Londoners and London boroughs."

The Freedom Pass, managed by London Councils on behalf on the London boroughs, provides Londoners over the age of 66 and those with eligible disabilities free public transport across the capital and on local buses across England.

We regularly check that the address details we hold for our Freedom Pass holders are correct and contact people if we think the details are out of date.

If a Freedom Pass holder has received an email or a letter asking them to confirm their current address, they must take action now.

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A by - elections took place in Greenwich on 17 October. In Eltham Town and Avery Hill by-election ward, Charlie Davis, Conservative, was declared the winner.

A by - election was also held in Bexley on 17 October. For Belvedere Ward, Jeremy Fosten, Labour, was declared the winner.