Allocations of social housing in London

336,357 households in London were on a Social Housing Register or waiting list in 2023-24, the highest since 2012-13^[1]. As a consequence, there is a large and growing number of London households living in temporary accommodation.

Analysis by London Councils published in January 2025 found that more than 183,000 Londoners were currently homeless and living in temporary accommodation.^[2] In 2024-25, it estimated that boroughs collectively spent £5 million each day on temporary accommodation, with net current expenditure on homelessness in London rising by 42 per cent since last year.^[3]

Given the high demand, in September 2024 the Government highlighted the importance that social housing “is allocated fairly and efficiently to those most in need.” ^[4]

Tomorrow, in the first of three meetings, the London Assembly Housing Committee will examine the extent to which social housing allocations are equitable. The investigation aims to:

• Understand the variation of social housing allocation policies across local authorities in London, including the extent to which policies are applied equitably and make the best use of available housing.
• Assess how effective the Mayor’s London Housing Strategy has been in shaping social housing allocation policies across councils.
• Scrutinise the effectiveness of the Mayor’s Housing Moves scheme and the Seaside and Country Homes programme.

The guests are:

Panel 1 - 10:00 – 11:15

• Liz Davies KC, Housing Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
• Deborah Garvie, Policy Manager, Shelter
• Matt Bawden, Head of Support and Housing (London), Centrepoint

Panel 2 - 11:25 – 12:40

• Asha Nauth, Business Support Officer, Deaf Ethnic Women’s Association
• Abdirahim Hassan, Founder, Coffee Afrik
• Kwajo Tweneboa, Social Housing Activist and Writer
• Pippa Maslin, Policy and Campaigns Manager, Merton Centre for Independent Living

The meeting will take place on Wednesday 15 October at 10am in Committee Rooms 2 & 3, at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.

Media and members of the public are invited to attend.

The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube

Follow us @LondonAssembly.

1. MHCLG, Local Authority Housing Statistics open data, last updated June 2025
2. London Councils, London’s social housing waiting lists reach 10-year high, January 2025
3. London Councils, Borough Homelessness Costs Soar to £5.5 Million a Day, September 2025
4. MHCLG, Government response to the consultation on changes to social housing allocation tests, September 2024
5. Zoë Garbett AM, Chair of the Housing Committee, is available for interview
6. Read the agenda in full
7. As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor
8. Find out more about the work of the Housing Committee

For more details, please contact Alison Bell on 07887 832 918 or at [email protected]. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer.