Waltham Forest Council's Cabinet has approved plans to review the borough's housing strategy, a move that will involve a two-year consultation process with residents and stakeholders.
The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, 8 September 2026. The review aims to assess the progress and delivery of the current Housing Strategy over the 2025-26 period, identify new ideas, and ensure the council is effectively addressing the housing challenges faced by residents.
The Housing Strategy, first agreed in January 2024, has four key long-term outcomes: preventing homelessness, ensuring residents can access homes that meet their changing needs, making every home healthy, safe, and affordable to heat, and ensuring development enhances neighbourhoods to support stronger, fairer, and safer communities.
Cabinet noted the progress made in delivering the strategy, highlighting significant efforts to reduce temporary accommodation placements and increase the supply of affordable homes. The number of Waltham Forest households in temporary accommodation (TA) has stabilised and reduced, falling from a peak of 1,710 in September 2025 to 1,527 in April 2026. This reduction has allowed the council to decrease its use of out-of-borough accommodation.
Specific actions taken to reduce TA placements include the Housing Sustainment team supporting over 60 families to sustain their tenancies and securing over £200,000 in additional income for them. Three additional officers were recruited using Homelessness Prevention grant funding to boost capacity for households at risk of homelessness. A pilot 'Home Wise' project offers early, targeted intervention for households with dependent children at risk of losing their family home, and a partnership with BEAM provides employment-led housing support for those in TA. The council is also developing new projects to increase the supply of high-quality, in-borough TA, including the conversion of four vacant council buildings into 60 self-contained homes. Furthermore, in early 2026, the council secured £18.2 million in grant funding to acquire a minimum of 77 homes over the next four years, with 62 designated for TA and 15 for Afghan resettlement. A pilot programme to convert current short-term leases to longer-term, 10-year plus leases is also underway, aiming to reduce the cost of TA placements to the council by increasing Housing Benefit subsidy claims.
In terms of increasing the supply of affordable homes, Waltham Forest was the fourth largest council house builder in England in 2024/25, with 482 completions. Capital investment is expected to deliver over 3,200 new homes by 2036, with more than 1,900 provided as shared ownership or social and affordable rent. The delivery route for Phase 1 of the Avenue Road regeneration, which will provide 116 council homes, has been agreed, and resident consultation is ongoing. The council has also submitted a bid for approximately £150 million to the Greater London Authority's (GLA) London Social and Affordable Homes Programme 2026–36, aiming to deliver up to 638 new homes, with at least 60% at social rent. Additionally, Newlon is expected to complete 156 new affordable rent homes at the Patchworks site in April 2027.
Despite these efforts, the report acknowledged ongoing challenges, including rising rents, limited housing supply, and the financial pressures on the council's Housing Revenue Account. The review will provide an opportunity to adapt the strategy in light of these challenges and emerging priorities.
The consultation process with residents, councillors, and stakeholders is expected to take place over the coming year as part of the two-year review of the strategy. A more specific timeline for the consultation phases has not yet been provided.
