A home of your own

We are breaking housebuilding records in London.

The Mayor is committed to tackling the housing crisis head on. That’s why he has secured a further £4bn to deliver affordable homes in London, and made a commitment to deliver 40,000 new council homes by 2030.

Every Londoner deserves somewhere they’re proud to call home. That is why:

There are now more council homes underway than at any time since the 1970s.
The number of affordable homes in new developments in the capital has almost doubled between 2016 and 2023.
More than 116,000 new genuinely affordable homes are being built for Londoners, beating the previous government's target.
More affordable homes for rent in London than at any point since 2002.

"Every Londoner deserves a truly affordable home."

Every Londoner should be able to afford somewhere they can call home, but far too many people in our city are being priced out.

The housing crisis is a huge challenge, decades in the making - and there’s no simple fix.

But we have shown over recent years that, with the right approach and priorities, it’s possible to make progress.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London

What we have achieved so far

Building more affordable housing is essential to securing London’s future.

London’s efforts in recent years have clearly demonstrated that a focused approach and well-defined priorities can lead to tangible progress.

The Mayor has repeatedly beaten his council housing delivery targets, supporting councils to deliver 10,000 new council homes by 2022, and he met a further target of 20,000 homes by 2023, achieved a year early. The Mayor has now pledged to support 40,000 new council homes in London by 2030.

The Mayor’s Building Council Homes for Londoners programme, launched in 2018, allocated over £1bn to fund new council homes. Council housing and homes delivered by other registered providers of social housing are currently funded through the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme (2021-26).

Alongside supporting the construction of new homes, the Mayor is also helping councils to acquire homes to turn them into genuinely affordable homes with funding made available via the Council Homes Acquisition Programme (CHAP).

The Mayor secured £4.8 bn from the Government for the 2016-2023 round of the Affordable Homes Programme, which he used to meet his agreed target of 116,000 affordable homes by March 2023. He has since secured another £4bn for the 2021-2026 programme which he is using to deliver a new wave of genuinely affordable and social homes in the capital.

Through his Threshold Approach to Viability, which fast-tracks schemes through planning that include at least 35 per cent affordable housing or 50 per cent on public or redeveloped industrial land, he has helped significantly increase the proportion and number of affordable homes in new developments in London, from 22 per cent of affordable housing in 2016 to 42 per cent of affordable housing in 2023, and 46 per cent by habitable room.

The Mayor knows well how difficult it can be to rent in London. While many landlords provide a good service, almost a quarter of private rented homes still do not meet the Decent Homes Standard. Households are also struggling with the cost of renting because of unsustainable rent increases, which have been compounded by the cost-of-living crisis.

While policy on private renting is largely led by central government, and enforcement by councils, the Mayor is doing everything he can to improve the quality, security and affordability of private rented sector homes for Londoners.

Among other measures, the Mayor has:

launched a Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker that has been viewed almost 600,000 times and a Report a Rogue tool to help renters report bad landlords and letting agents
worked with Generation Rent and Safer Renting, alongside the Metropolitan Police, to update guidance and ensure frontline officers are best equipped to prevent an illegal eviction and support renters to remain in their home
worked with central government and Parliamentarians to ensure that the Renters Rights Bill genuinely strikes a fairer balance between landlord and tenant, by introducing protections to enhance security – including ending ‘no fault’ section 21 evictions, introducing open-ended tenancies and longer notice periods, and increasing protections for renters against living in homes in poor conditions and being evicted illegally, which will require local council enforcement teams to be properly resourced.

What Londoners are saying

"I previously lived in a small flat, with my husband and our kids. We had very little space and were living on top of each other. Since we moved, we’ve had a new lease of life. You can’t imagine what it means for our family to have space. It gives the kids a massive opportunity to grow and it’s a dream come true for us."

Leah, Hackney

Children reading a book called 'Home Sweet Home'

"My new home has that ‘wow’ factor, and I absolutely love it. It’s so spacious and peaceful. I particularly love the skylight, and the spacious kitchen. I’ve always dreamt of having a garden and now I’m growing my own fruit and veg. There’s such a strong sense of community too. I love this area.”

Glenda, Hackney

"The three of us were sharing a cramped one-bedroom flat in a high-rise building. My son had no space and would get frustrated. He used to play near the windows and balcony, which made me really nervous. Moving to our new home has transformed our lives. Now he has his own room, my son is calmer and happier here.”

Sharnel, Greenwich

Get help with housing in London

Find information on how to go about renting and your rights as a renter, buying an affordable home, as well as council and social housing information.