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Affordable Housing Monitor 2026

Social housing

Key information

Publication type: General

Publication date:

Overview

The Affordable Housing Monitor (AHM) is an annual report examining the delivery of affordable housing in London and tracking the Mayor’s progress against his commitments. 

This report has been produced with and for the London Assembly Housing Committee to support its annual scrutiny. It focuses on the Mayor’s delivery under the Affordable Homes Programmes (AHPs), up to March 2026. 

Affordable homes in London are also funded in other ways, separate to AHP funding. The Monitor primarily focuses on homes delivered through AHP funding in London, because of the Mayor’s responsibilities under the AHP. 

The Research Unit background paper on Affordable homes programmes in London provides further detail on the key elements of the Mayor’s AHPs and additional context on affordable housing in London.

Headlines of the AHM 2026

  • The AHP 2021-26 achieved 14,335 affordable home starts by March 2026, against a target of 17,800 to 19,000

In 2021, the Mayor was allocated £4 billion from the Government for the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26. 

The Mayor delivered 14,335 affordable housing starts against a target of 17,800 - 19,000 by March 2026 under the programme. This target was reduced from 23,900 - 27,200 in March 2025. In May 2026, it was announced that the March 2026 deadline for starts would be extended by up to six months on a case-by-case basis. 

Graph showing starts and completions under AHP 2021-26
Figure -

Source: GLA, Affordable Housing Statistics, ‘Affordable Housing Starts and Completions’, updated 12 May 2026. The AHP 2021-26 had an original target of 35,000 which was renegotiated to between 23,900 and 27,200 in 2023, and subsequently to between 17,800 and 19,000. In May 2026, it was announced that the March 2026 deadline would be extended by up to six months on a case-by-case basis.

  • 73 per cent of homes funded by the AHP 2016-23 have been completed

The Mayor was allocated a total of £4.8 billion from the Government for the Affordable Homes Programme 2016-23, with a target of 116,000 affordable home starts by March 2023. There is no deadline by which homes must be completed under this programme. 

In 2025-26, there were 8,773 completions under the AHP 2016-23. To March 2026, 73 per cent of homes have been completed under this programme.

This leaves 32,081 homes that have been started but not yet completed.

Graph showing starts and completions under AHP 2016-23
Figure -

Source: GLA, Affordable Housing Statistics, ‘Affordable Housing Starts and Completions’, updated 12 May 2026. Completions from 2015-23 taken from letter from Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development to the Housing Committee, October 2023. Data on starts includes all affordable homes started since 1 April 2015.

  • 3,865 council homes were started under GLA affordable housing programmes in 2025-26

Almost all GLA-funded council homes in London since 2018 have been funded via the Mayor’s two Affordable Homes Programmes but some homes have been funded through other funding streams.

Since September 2018, there have been 29,224 council homes started and 16,055 completed under the Mayor’s affordable housing programmes. These include homes which have been acquired from the private sector and converted into council homes.

Of the 29,224 council homes started since September 2018, 13,169 (45 per cent) were not yet completed as of March 2026.

Graph showing GLA-funded council home starts and completions
Figure -

Source: GLA, Affordable Housing Statistics: Council Homes Starts and Completions. Data is available from September 2018 on the number of GLA-funded council homes started and completed in London, including acquisitions. The GLA also uses funding from the ‘Right to Buy ringfence’ to fund council homes, separately from AHP funding.

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Related documents

Affordable Housing Monitor 2026