Living in London is great - but its not cheap - and it's getting more expensive and more problematic to find somewhere decent. Buying seems out of reach for many young people and there are few flats to rent privately.

So I was interested to see a new web project and campaign launch recently. Homes for London provides an online journey planner - much like Transport for London  - to show the trials of finding accomodation in the capital. Its part of a campaign calling for the candidates for the London Mayoral elections to do something about the worsening situation.

The number of households on London boroughs' waiting lists has rocketed and estimates of the effects of the government's reforms to housing and other benefits suggest that tens of thousands of households are having to move into cheaper housing - or even relocate to cheaper areas.

Enfield council has 2,020 households in temporary accomodation and Haringey has 3,144 and whilst Enfield has a waiting list in excess of 6,000  for council housing Haringey has three times this number at 18,000. Check the London Housing Map for more info and have a look at the Housing Journey Planner.

However this lack of affordable housing and pressure on what housing stock there is already does not justify a rush to excessive newbuild or infill development in this already crowded area. The solution should be a london wide approach to housing .