Southwark Council's housing department has been rated as having serious failings
by the Regulator of Social Housing, according to documents from a recent Council Assembly meeting. The Council Assembly, held on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, addressed the critical rating of the housing department, which oversees a social housing waiting list of 23,000 households.
The council's housing department's rating was a key point of discussion during the meeting, detailed in the Public reports pack. The administration's core principles aim to make the borough more Affordable, Safe, and Green.
A comprehensive full Borough Action Plan
is set to be developed over the next four years, with its key components focusing on making Southwark affordable, taking serious action on climate, tackling the housing crisis, making the borough safer, delivering clean and green streets, defending Southwark's interests, and creating a council that listens and residents can shape. The plan also aims to ensure Southwark is a place where people can grow up and grow old well.
The motion adopted by the Council Assembly detailed progress already made, such as launching a uniform programme for families in need and investing £600,000 in Night Time Patrols. It also committed to developing the full Borough Action Plan, with a focus on the aforementioned areas.
Specific measures for tackling the housing crisis include building more council homes, ensuring tenant and leaseholder satisfaction, and reducing the number of void properties. To enhance safety, the plan involves tackling crime and anti-social behaviour through prevention and enforcement, with a priority on preventing violence against women and girls, and protecting residents from climate impacts like extreme heat. For cleaner and greener streets, the council will focus on tackling fly-tipping and improving air quality by encouraging more walking, cycling, and public transport use.
The meeting agenda and minutes can be found at the Council Assembly agenda frontsheet and printed minutes respectively. A supplemental agenda was also issued, available here.