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London’s social housing waiting lists at 10-year high
The social housing waiting list in the capital has risen to a 10-year high, according to the latest figures.
Analysis of government data by London Councils found that there were 336,366 households on local authority waiting lists for social housing in 2024 across the capital’s 32 boroughs.
That is the highest figure in more than a decade and a 32% increase since 2014. The previous record was 344,294 in 2013.
London is the region with the largest number of households waiting for social housing, accounting for 25% of England’s national total.
The cross-party London Councils group explained that the capital faces a “homelessness emergency”, with the “acute shortage” of affordable homes a key factor behind this.
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The membership body said that more than 183,000 Londoners – equivalent to at least one in 50 residents of the capital – are currently homeless and living in temporary accommodation arranged by their local borough.
According to London Councils, the capital’s boroughs collectively spend £4m a day on temporary accommodation. This spending has increased 68% over the past year.
The group also warned that town halls were seeing an effective reduction in social housing finances of £700m from 2023-24 to 2027-28 due to rising costs and the previous government’s cap on social rents.
Grace Williams, executive member for housing and regeneration at London Councils, said: “London is grappling with the most severe housing and homelessness crisis in the country. The capital is becoming increasingly unaffordable and, as these numbers demonstrate, there is a desperate need for more social housing.
“Boroughs are doing everything we can to build the affordable homes our communities are crying out for. However, we are also struggling with enormous resource constraints and immense challenges to housing delivery in London.
“Boroughs are determined to turn the situation around. We are strongly pro-housing growth and as committed as ever to working with the government to turbocharge housebuilding in the capital. We are also working to ensure we have the resources needed to cope with the immediate homelessness pressures we are facing.”
The group called for an uplift in the amount councils can claim from the government for temporary accommodation costs, and for the recent rise in Local Housing Allowance rates to be made a permanent measure.
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: “Local government has suffered from years of short-term decisions, so we have already set out important steps to help them deliver the homes we need, including overdue reforms to the Right to Buy scheme and an extra £500m for the Affordable Homes Programme.
“We will set out further measures in due course.”
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