Islington Council is exploring options to provide housing for key workers in the borough as part of a wider review of its housing allocations. The feasibility of restoring housing allocation for key workers is being investigated, though the council acknowledges the significant housing crisis and the high demand on the housing register.
Councillor Fin Craig, Chair of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee, presented an update on the implementation of recommendations from a review of the children's workforce. A specific recommendation from this review is that The Council should investigate the feasibility of restoring the allocation of housing to key workers under its allocation policies in addition to any mitigation measures that can be taken to avoid this having an adverse impact to its care leavers.
Regarding key worker housing, the council's response noted that the scheme was discontinued two years ago. The primary reason for this discontinuation was the significant housing crisis and the high demand on the housing register. Councillor Fin Craig stated, The feasibility of restoring housing allocation for key workers is being investigated, but this is complex due to the significant housing crisis and demand on the housing register.
The report highlights that Islington is facing its most significant housing crisis, with over 2,100 homeless households in temporary accommodation and nearly 17,000 households on the housing register seeking accommodation. Any consideration of restoring key worker housing would need to be linked to the review of the council's housing allocations scheme, scheduled for 2027. Furthermore, reintroducing key worker housing could have a negative impact on the existing housing register and temporary accommodation numbers. The report notes that any reduction in the accommodation available to homeless households and those on the housing register would need to be considered carefully, due to the financial pressures placed on the council.
The average time spent living in temporary accommodation before being housed is increasing every year, although specific comparisons to previous years are not provided in the meeting information.
Further details on the children's workforce review can be found in the Public reports pack for the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee meeting on 1st October 2026.