According to the Mayor, housing programmes in the capital are being severely impacted by these issues, including a development in south-east London, where costs have risen by 45% based on tender returns.

Some boroughs have also reported spikes in cost inflation. 

The latest data from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) revealed that the cost of construction materials, such as steel, timber and concrete for all types of work, rose by almost 23% last year.

The Federation of Master Builders’ (FMB) latest State of Trade Survey echoed this, with 95% of builders seeing a rise in material costs and 91% expecting them to increase in the first part of 2022.

In addition, the survey highlighted that over 40% of housebuilders are struggling to hire carpenters and bricklayers.

ONS data for Q4 2021 also revealed that vacancies in construction were 60% higher than in the three months before the pandemic.

To combat these issues, Khan has repeated his called for the government to offer additional grant funding for affordable housing in London to reflect the growing financial pressures on councils and housing associations.

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He also asked again for the creation of a temporary visa scheme to help sectors that are struggling with shortages of workers, including construction. 

The visa should offer at least 12 months to work in the UK and be appropriately tailored to sectors like construction where many workers prefer to work on a self-employed basis.

“Since becoming Mayor, I have made tackling London’s housing crisis one of my top priorities; from City Hall, we have worked tirelessly to get London building again, but the twin effects of the pandemic and Brexit has hit both housebuilders and consumers hard,” said Khan.

“Put simply, materials and labour are needed to build homes. 

“Earlier this month, I called on the government to create a temporary visa scheme for construction workers, which would go some way towards alleviating the debilitating double impact of Brexit and the pandemic on the building industry. 

“I am also calling on ministers to provide the increased funding for genuinely affordable housing in London that I have long called for and which is needed now more than ever. 

“Without bricks and mortar, and enough skilled workers, the excellent progress we have made in delivering the good quality and genuinely affordable homes that Londoners need is at risk of stalling.”

Brian Berry, chief executive at the FMB, added: “For over a year, small builders who deliver new housing and improve existing homes either through extensions or by retrofitting, have been struggling with the twin challenges of rising prices for essential materials and severe labour shortages. 

“The latest State of Trade Survey data from the FMB shows these pressures aren’t going away, and there are now added fears about the impact of rising inflation.”