You might find it hard to sympathise with those being described as London's 'new poor' after all they are earning salaries of between £25,000 and £35,000 a year.

But this is a new generation of Londoners who are finding it increasingly difficult to be able to afford to buy homes in the capital.

The Government is doing everything possible to find homes for 'key workers', mainly people who work for it NHS workers, council staff and those in the emergency services.

But the current housing 'crisis' goes much deeper than this. New developments are springing up all over the borough. But they are not accessible to most. A flat at Damascus House in Mill Hill will set you back more than £500,000 and a single-bed flat at the new Tally Ho artsdepot is going to cost more than £225,000.

These prices are completely out of reach for young professionals taking home £30,000 a year. These young professionals do not come under the Government's blanket definition of 'key workers'. But they contribute a great deal to the prosperity and vitality of the borough and, if ignored, could become a political force to be reckoned with.

October 2, 2002 18:30