You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Sadiq Khan hits target of 20,000 new council homes in five years
Sadiq Khan has hit his target of starting 20,000 council-built homes by 2024, figures released by the Greater London Authority (GLA) show.
The mayor of London, who set the goal in 2018, said he had achieved his ambitions a year early.
In the past five years, work began on 23,000 new council homes funded by City Hall, the equivalent of 13 new council homes being started every day since 2018.
Of the 23,000 new starts, more than 10,000 began in the past year alone. Mr Khan said that work began on more council-built homes in the capital in 2022 than any year since the 1970s.
He added that London was building double the council housing of the rest of England combined. The 4,325 council homes that were started in the rest of England was a “national scandal”, he said, and called for new government funding exclusively for council homes.
READ MORE
The GLA said that more than 10,000 of the council homes started in London in 2022-23 received funding from the mayor and all London boroughs recorded the delivery of new council homes with GLA funding in 2022.
Mr Khan was set to announce the latest figures this morning on a visit to Stonebridge Hillside, a scheme developed by Brent Council. The development is made up of 22 four-bedroom houses and 51 flats, all of which will be let at social rent.
“We’ve hit our ambitious target early,” Mr Khan said, adding that it was “a key part of my plans to build a better, fairer London for everyone.
“The fact that latest available figures show that only 4,325 council homes were started over a year in the rest of England is a national scandal. Council housebuilding has essentially come to a halt, which is why I’m calling on ministers to urgently set up a new government fund exclusively committed to funding new council homes across the country.”
Darren Rodwell, executive member for regeneration, housing and planning at London Councils, welcomed Mr Khan’s announcement. “Boroughs are proud to be building the next generation of council homes across the capital,” he 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.”
London Councils estimates that 166,000 Londoners – equivalent to the entire population of Oxford – are homeless and living in temporary accommodation.
Sign up for our development and finance newsletter
Already have an account? Click here to manage your newsletters
