Dozens of organisations call for rent controls and more council homes as part of national housing demonstration

The main asks of the demonstration are rent controls to stop rents spiralling further, and government investment for more and better council homes.

Matthew Pennycook, housing minister, reiterated the government’s opposition to private rent controls in a parliamentary debate earlier this week, after the Green Party put capping rents at the centre of its local election campaign.

Mr Pennycook said: “The government do not support the introduction of rent controls, which we believe could make life more difficult for renters.”

Zoë Garbett, the Green candidate for mayor of Hackney, local councillor for Dalston and member of the London Assembly, said: “As chair of the London Assembly Housing Committee, I’ve investigated how we make the Renters’ Rights Act deliver for London.

“We need to ensure that landlords know their responsibilities and that renters fully understand their rights to hold landlords to account.

“This Labour government is failing residents by refusing to devolve powers for rent controls. The mayor of London hasn’t done enough to push for this.

“The system isn’t working to build the homes we need; that is why we need to be bolder to make real progress by 2030.”

Sir Sadiq Khan has previously urged housing associations to bid for grant funding for London’s new Key Worker Living Rent (KWLR) product.

Sir Sadiq plans to start at least 6,000 key worker homes by 2030, and has called on developers, housing associations, councils and investors to “get behind the plans by developing these homes”.

He encouraged housing associations to bid for the capital’s £11.7bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme, which includes the new KWLR product.

The Social Housing Action Campaign group said: “We are marching to demand genuinely affordable housing, rent controls and council homes.”

Disability Rights UK said: “Together we can demand affordable, accessible homes for all.”