London’s social housing crisis has grown more extreme than ever, with waiting lists recently reaching a 10-year high. It’s time to help families who are reeling from an increasingly catastrophic housing crisis. In answer to this, the government has committed to spending £39 billion over the next ten years on social and affordable housing in England. For many residents, like Danielle, the newly announced funding is too little and too late to provide them with more immediate relief.
For Danielle, a single mother of three, this summer was a wake-up call to the realities of the housing crisis. Her landlord issued her a section 21 “no fault” eviction order, leaving her heartbroken. This left her family with no choice but to move into temporary shelter 18 miles from their children’s school. In only nine months, they’ve already had to relocate four times, making her feel uprooted and unsure of what’s to come for her family.
It’s been terrible, total hell. It’s really made all of our lives just unlivable. My kids are always needing to readjust,” said Danielle, sharing her heartbreaking frustration about the current never-ending cycle of stop gaps. That said, the government does seem serious about addressing quality housing. She says it is “too late” for her family to get any relief at this point.
New analysis from London Councils paints a stark picture of the crisis. It draws attention to the increasing number of families like Danielle’s who are going to social housing. The JRF’s report comes as waiting lists for social housing in London have reached their highest levels in 10 years. This troubling trend is indicative of the urgent need for reform.
New Chancellor Rachel Reeves recently announced an audacious plan. It’s supposed to help the federal government fulfill its own commitment to build 1.5 million new homes over this parliamentary term. This ambitious goal is meant to address the unsustainable demand for housing. Cities such as London in particular feel the pinch, with their existing supply failing to adequately meet demand.
Despite these positive first steps, worries about the affordability of these new homes persist. Shelter’s analysis reveals a deeply disturbing trend. In over 40% of local authorities in England those on low pay are unable to afford a one-bedroom “affordable rent” home. Charlie Trew, head of policy at Shelter, commented on the issue by stating, “The issue with so-called ‘affordable housing’ is that often it’s not affordable at all and priced out of reach of people on low incomes.” Most importantly, he emphasised that the government needs to set a “clear long-term target” for building new social rent homes. This is fundamental to fulfilling our housing obligation.
In light of these challenges, Kate Henderson, head of the National Housing Federation, described the government’s funding announcement as “transformational,” calling it “the most ambitious Affordable Homes Programme we’ve seen in decades.” This new programme commits social landlords to fixed rents over the next decade. To do this, it will invest an average of £3.9 billion per year.
Neil Jefferson, CEO of the Home Builders Federation, put his finger on one very worrying aspect. He further emphasised that despite these commitments, housing supply/investment in the pipeline continue to dramatically lag even one year into the new parliamentary term. He stressed that any action taken must happen quickly to avoid worsening the housing crisis.
For families like Danielle’s, hope is all they have, but with these pledges, hopefully one day there will be better and safer conditions. She expressed optimism for her children’s future: “I hope this means better chances for them moving forward.” She desires stability and security for her family, emphasizing that having a permanent home would mean that they would “never be put in a position like this again.”
As London continues to deal with the growing pressures of its housing crisis, the government’s financial promises seem to show a marked beginning to addressing those long-term grievances. Whether these initiatives have the potential to offer immediate relief for families who today are suffering is unclear.