More than 20 families waiting 20 years on Westminster housing list

By Jacob Phillips, Local Democracy Reporter

More than 20 families have been waiting at least 20 years for a home in Central London.

Westminster City council has more than 4,000 people on its housing waiting list, and 23 families have been waiting for more than two decades to move out of temporary accommodation.

There are 2,204 people who have been stuck in temporary accommodation for at least 10 years in the borough, a Freedom of Information Request has revealed.

To cope with the high waiting lists, residents have had to move to neighbouring boroughs and even further afield.

Westminster residents have had to move as far away as the Essex seaside in Southend-on-Sea while they wait for a property.

In autumn 2022, more than 1,500 households were in temporary accommodation outside of Westminster while they waited for a place to live.

There are 50 people who have been on the housing waiting list for 19 years and 110 people who have been waiting 18 years.

An extra 109 people have been waiting for 17 years and 174 people have been waiting 16 years for a permanent address.

This week Westminster City council announced it will buy £85m worth of properties in Central London to help look after struggling residents.

The council will purchase an extra 270 homes to help people who are facing issues such as homelessness, domestic abuse, and housing repairs.

The council will spend £170 million on temporary housing in total over the next three years. The homes will be a mix of one, two, and three-bed flats at an average price of £550,000.

Westminster City council leader Adam Hug recently said: “This significant investment won’t solve the housing crisis, but we can at least help some of those people to live in a more settled home that better meets their needs in Westminster.

“We want to keep families and communities together in Westminster, rather than strung out away from the schools and people they have got to know.”

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