Affordable housing targets and well-meaning safety regulation has led developers to conclude that building in London is not worth the hassle, says Sam Griffiths

You’re probably bored of reading bad news about housing in London – but figures released by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) should make us all sit up and take notice. Only 30,000 homes were completed last year to June, which is just over a third of the government’s 88,000 annual target for the capital. New Housing Secretary Steve Reed, who is “absolutely committed” to the target, should be petrified that all indicators show completions will drop even further over the next year.

Be in no doubt that these figures mean we can expect housing to become even less affordable, renting to become even more competitive and waiting lists to lengthen even further. So what has caused this disaster, and........

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