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London households wait over 5 years for family-sized homes, report reveals

According to a new report by Centre for London, Londoners are waiting an average of 1863 days (5 years and 1 month) for a family-sized 3-bed social housing property in the capital.

The research further highlights that more than 323,000 households in London are currently on a social housing waiting list – more than double the population of Cambridge.

The new data analysis from Centre for London shows that:

  • Londoners are waiting years for even the smallest The average waiting time for studios and 1-bed properties is 844 days (2 years and 3 months).
  • The story considerable worsens when looking at family sized homes – with the average 3-bed waiting time significantly increasing to 1863 days (5 years and 1 month).
  • The pressures on local councils are not spread evenly across the city. Londoners in East London can expect to wait 2,102 days (five years and nine months) for a three-bed property, over double the length of time a household in South London would expect to wait for a similar property – 822 days on average (two years and three months).
  • Housebuilding of socially rented homes has stalled in recent years. Between 2020/21 and 2022/23, only 1,148 new social rented properties were completed each year.

This new study, produced in partnership with the G15 and with the aid of local councils, shows how London’s social housing is currently failing to meet the needs of Londoners.

Demand has increased rapidly in recent years. 1 in 4 Londoners live in poverty after paying for housing costs. With stagnant wages, inaccessible house prices and skyrocketing rents, more Londoners than ever are in need of social housing. Wait lists increased by 33% between 2017 and 2023 – an additional 81,000 households.

In particular, the research highlights those looking for family-sized homes must wait the longest– 5 years and nine months on average for a 3-bed property.

Despite the acute need, London has seen a net loss of social homes every year over the past decade. Social housing stock is diminishing far quicker than it’s being built. Housing associations home starts have fallen by 92%, while 300,000 of London’s social homes have been sold since start of the ‘Right to Buy’ scheme.

The government must adequately fund social housing in the capital

We need a new era of affordable housebuilding. Recent analysis suggests we need to deliver 33,000 new homes for social rent every year, for the next 15 years. Yet, councils facing a £700m budget “black hole”, spending £114m a month on temporary accommodation to cope with the consequences of the housing crisis.

To boost development of social housing, we need the government to adequately and consistently fund social housing. Specifically, national government should increase the Affordable Housing Programme – estimates suggest we require a minimum or £4.6bn, a comprehensive programme costing £15.1bn a year. They would also need to provide a long-term rent settlement for social housing landlords and end the right to buy scheme. Without bold action from government, London’s housing crisis will continue to worsen.

Antonia Jennings, CEO at Centre for London, said:

“The figures revealed in our research are stark. The reality is Londoners are being left for years, sometimes decades, before being allocated a suitable socially rented home. This level of uncertainty, and long periods living in inadequate housing, can have real consequences on physical and mental health. The effects are felt across our city, with inadequate housing for Londoners linked to our temporary accommodation crisis, falling family rates in the capital, through to our productivity crisis and status as a successful global city.

It’s no secret that London is an expensive place to live. Yet in recent years, we’ve seen an explosion in the affordability crisis in the capital. Wages cannot keep up with house prices and rent, leaving 1 in 4 Londoners living in poverty after paying for housing costs.

We cannot wait for this crisis to worsen. While the financial asks from national government are high, the long-term economic and social gains are worth the investment. It’s time the government commit to investment in social housing and start to finally turn the corner on London’s housing crisis.”

Rob Anderson, Research Director at Centre for London, said:

“It’s unsurprising yet remains disheartening to see that family-sized homes have such dire waiting times. We’re seeing the reality of this play out as large numbers of children are growing up in temporary accommodation. For a child, a five year wait for a safe place to call home could be all their secondary school years. It’s vital that we reduce these waiting times to allow children in the capital to grow up health and happy. If not, we’ll continue to see the worrying trend of an increasingly ‘child-free’ inner London”

Fiona Fletcher-Smith, Chair of the G15, said:

“I welcome this significant report, which for the first time offers a comprehensive London-wide analysis of social housing waiting times and reveals the profound impact of our city’s housing crisis. The findings underscore the urgent need to address the severe shortage of affordable homes, especially family-sized properties.

“Every affordable home adds economic and social value for Londoners and London, from better outcomes for residents to savings to essential services. The G15 remains committed to working collaboratively to ensure that every Londoner has access to safe and affordable housing. However, we cannot achieve this alone. We call on the government to provide a 10-year rent settlement guarantee with a rent convergence mechanism, increase investment in the Affordable Housing Programme, and unlock the Building Safety Fund for not-for-profit housing associations. These actions will enable us to start building the homes that Londoners desperately need.”

A G15 resident said:

“Before I moved into my social home, I was in a tiny rented house. I was paying at least three times as much as I do now, for a much smaller place where I didn’t even have a bedroom – I was on the sofa while my children shared the bedroom. They experienced repeated home moves, from one completely unsatisfactory place to another, with the rent always seeming to go up. So for us, it was an absolute godsend when we finally moved in to where we are now.

“Social housing isn’t just about houses, it’s about futures: propelling people forward and supporting them. I moved around a lot as a child, in and out of rented accommodation, and it was hard. When you move around a lot, you have constant change and you lose connections and friends from your life. For that reason, it was my dream for my children to have a space that they could come back to and call their own. Above anything, it’s about stability – that most critical thing, a safe space that you can call home.”

“There wasn’t enough stability in my childhood for me to succeed at school. But for my children, having a stable home has enabled them to do well at school, go off to university and get jobs they love. As an adult, it has also enabled me to set up a successful social enterprise for children from under-resourced backgrounds. The springboard for this was finally having a stable place to call my own.”

This report was produced in partnership with the G15.