Mayor hits council housing target with over 11,000 started since 2018

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has hailed the resurgence in council homebuilding as new figures out today show more than 11,000 new City Hall-funded council homes have been started since 2018. This fulfils a pledge made by the Mayor in his election manifesto to start 10,000 by the end of this financial year.

The latest statistics show that the target has been exceeded by some distance, with 11,061 (correct as of Monday 21 March) City Hall-funded homes started since 2018. Overall, council house building in London has hit the highest levels since the 1970s, reversing years of decline. The number of council homes started annually has increased six-fold since 2016, with only 774 started in the final year of the previous Mayoralty.

The Mayor’s commitment to unlocking funds for council homebuilding has helped ambitious councils grow their capacity and expertise to deliver at scale for the first time in a generation. Almost three-quarters (3,411) of the council homes started in London in 2020-21 received funding support from the Mayor.

The level of homebuilding is set to continue, with the Mayor’s new 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme. The majority of social rent homes allocated funding so far in the 2021-26 programme will be delivered by local authorities.

The Mayor is also ensuring that all council homes built on his watch through the new Affordable Homes Programme meet leading environmental standards to help tackle the climate emergency, with tough net-zero carbon requirements and the incorporation of sustainable urban green spaces.

Sadiq announced the latest figures on a visit to Maldon Street in Edmonton, where City Hall has invested £1.8m into Enfield’s project to build 22 new council homes, made up of 12 houses and 10 flats. Enfield is one of the Mayor’s biggest council housebuilding partners, with an approved allocation of £69,959,000 to deliver 798 affordable homes. Enfield had the 3^rd highest number of affordable homes starts (798 homes) recorded by the GLA for any London borough in 20-21.

Enfield Council is one of the GLA’s major council housebuilding partners. Since September 2018, Enfield has started 798 affordable homes with a total allocation of £67,474,000 through the Mayor’s affordable housing programmes.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “I grew up on a council estate in south London so I know the vital role council housing plays by providing security for families. That’s why I’ve reversed the years of declining council home building and we are once again seeing these vital homes return to every corner of our city.

“When I launched City Hall’s first ever investment programme dedicated to council housebuilding, in 2018, I promised Londoners that we’d get work started on 10,000 council homes, and I’m proud to say that this pledge has been delivered.

“We’re now seeing a resurgence in council homebuilding across London, with the highest number of homes being built since the 1970s, working with great local councils, like Enfield, which I’m visiting today.

“In London today, we’re not just building more council homes, we’re building better too. The new generation of council homes are some of the best that’s ever been built: modern, sustainable and fit for the twenty-first century. These new homes form a key part of building a better London for everyone – one that is greener, fairer and more prosperous for all.”

Enfield Council’s Leader, Cllr Nesil Caliskan, said: “Enfield Council has a bold and dynamic housing programme, where we are delivering thousands of new, good-quality family homes in well-connected and thriving neighbourhoods for the people of Enfield. We are investing in homes so they meet high standards that are fit for the 21st century.

“I am proud of what we have achieved so far, tackling the housing shortage head-on by increasing the supply of affordable, council owned homes and addressing the needs of our borough, particularly those who are most in need and vulnerable."

Cllr Darren Rodwell, London Councils’ Executive Member for Housing & Planning, said: “Boroughs are determined to deliver the new generation of council homes our communities desperately need.

“Council housing has a crucial role to play in tackling the capital’s affordability crisis and high rates of homelessness. Good progress is being made on increasing delivery and boroughs will do everything we can to work with our partners to maintain this positive trend.”