Hammersmith and Fulham Council has adopted a new Family Housing Strategy aimed at increasing the supply of homes suitable for families across the borough.

The decision was made at a Cabinet meeting on Monday, 14 July 2025, where councillors discussed the pressing need to address the demand for family housing and outlined seven key actions to achieve this goal. The report states that as of March 2025, there were 907 households on the housing register seeking a 3-bedroom home, with 313 of those households being homeless. The latest Strategic Housing Market Needs Assessment (SHMA) in 2018 identified a need of around 5,000 additional 3+ bed homes by 2033.

Councillor Frances Umeh, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness, introduced the report, emphasising the importance of meeting the demand for family housing and acknowledging the national housing crisis. The strategy aims to increase the supply of family-sized homes across affordable and market tenures, make the best use of existing homes, and build and buy new homes, she said.

However, Councillor Adronie Alford, Opposition Spokesperson for Housing, cautioned against excessive home purchases that could potentially inflate house prices in the area. Councillor Umeh acknowledged this concern, stating the need to meet demand responsibly.

The Family Housing Strategy outlines three broad areas of intervention:

  • Updating housing strategy and planning policy
  • Making best use of existing homes
  • Building and buying new homes

The council aims to ensure that the need for family accommodation features strongly in the new housing strategy and local plan documents to be prepared from 2025 onwards. They also plan to develop a package of options to promote and incentivise downsizing of accommodation to free up large family accommodation and explore with housing association partners how closer joint working can deliver more family accommodation for residents.

To encourage downsizing, the council currently operates a beneficial transfer scheme with the following financial incentives:

  • a £2,000 incentive payment for each bedroom the tenant gives up
  • carpet and decorations to the new property before the tenant moves in using all or part of their incentive money (this is optional)
  • arrange and pay for removals once the new property has been accepted
  • a new property disconnect and reconnect the tenant's oven and washing machine
  • reimburse the tenant for having their post redirected to the new address for 3 months.

The council aims to improve and disseminate the scheme more widely which is likely to involve improved financial incentives, coupled with a rebranded scheme to appeal to a wider range of residents. This will need to be informed by best practice, listening to residents and making recommendations for a refreshed approach which is both financially viable to the council and attractive to residents who want to down-size from their current homes.

The Cabinet also resolved to continue exploring the business case for the Housing Company to become a vehicle to grow the supply of family homes and continue to explore all opportunities to maximise the development of family housing for both rented and intermediate provision.

The Equality Impact Analysis (EIA) for the Family Housing Strategy states, The equalities impacts on the groups with protected characteristics are likely to be largely positive. It also notes that a full review of equalities data on allocations from the Housing Register from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 will be undertaken during the Spring/Summer 2025 to inform the development of the 2026-31 Housing Strategy and associated documents. The EIA for the Procurement of Hammersmith & Fulham's sexual health e-service offer states, There are no anticipated negative implications for groups that share protected characteristics, under the Equality Act 2010, by the approval of the procurement strategy outlined in this report.

For more details, you can read the Family Housing Strategy Report and the Equality Impact Analysis.