Overview

• London recorded its second-lowest affordable housing starts on record last year, with just 5,188 homes begun under the current funding period.
• City Hall and the Ministry of Housing have agreed to reduce the mayor's start target for 2021–2026 from 23,900–27,100 homes to 17,800–19,000 homes.
• Several boroughs, including Bexley and the City of London, reported no affordable housing starts, while six others saw single-digit starts.
• Despite the low starts, affordable housing completions rose to 11,636 last year, the highest in a decade for social rented homes.
• A backlog of 300,000 approved but unstarted homes underscores broader challenges in funding, planning, and delivery across the capital.