Boroughs ‘delivering next generation of council housing’ as figures show London’s 2024 target beaten already

New figures show London has reached its target for new council houses a year early.

Figures released by the Greater London Authority show 23,092 council homes have been built with City Hall funds since the start of the Building Council Homes for Londoners programme in 2018.

London has exceeded its target of 20,000 new, council-built homes by 2024, set in 2018 by the Mayor of London.

More council-built homes were started in the capital in 2022 than any year since the 1970s.

Councillor Darren Rodwell, London Councils’ executive member for regeneration, housing and planning, said: “Boroughs are proud to be building the next generation of council homes across the capital. 

“We want to give more Londoners the opportunity to live in affordable, high-quality homes, and increasing the supply of council housing is vital to achieving that.”

Between 2018 and 2023 Southwark received 2,537 council built homes from City Hall funding, by far the most compared to other South London boroughs.

City Hall funded 480 new homes in Croydon, 488 in Lewisham, 372 in Greenwich and 326 in Lambeth.

London faces the most severe homelessness crisis in the country, with the latest analysis from the cross-party organisation, London Councils, showing that rates are rising. 

About 166,000 Londoners, equivalent to the entire population of Oxford, are homeless and living in temporary accommodation arranged by their borough.

Mr Rodwell said: “London’s housing pressures remain immense. 

“Although we’re pleased with the progress being made, we remain absolutely determined to keep driving up delivery and building the homes our communities are crying out for.”

Pictured top: A computer-generated image of planned apartment block in Southwark (Picture: Southwark council planning documents)