Issue

Social housing

26 stories · discussed at 15 council meetings · 19 councils

Councils are currently focused on increasing social housing supply and improving the allocation and management of existing homes amidst chronic shortages.

Hillingdon Council provided 510 social housing lettings in the past year, including 271 council homes, but faces challenges allocating larger properties due to chronic shortages, as stated by Councillor Nick Denys in September 2026. Haringey Council's Cabinet Member for Housing approved plans in September 2026 to build nine new four-bedroom council homes for social rent, costing £3,950,256. Hackney Council reported a 29% drop in homelessness prevention success in the first four months of 2026/27, discussed in September 2026.

Barnet Council's Finance and Growth Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee raised concerns in July 2026 over the housing mix in the Dollis Valley Estate Regeneration Scheme, which proposes 187 social rented homes. Also in July 2026, Barnet Council backed government plans to empower social housing landlords to evict domestic abuse perpetrators, allowing victims to remain in their homes. Islington Council decided in July 2026 to back a judicial review of the Mayor of London's emergency housing plans, citing concerns over their impact on social housing provision.

Lewisham Council committed £600 million in February 2026 to build new council homes over five years. Havering Council debated in January 2026 a business plan for Mercury Land Holdings, with officers concluding that focusing solely on social homes was not viable. Wandsworth Council decided in October 2025 to introduce an annual performance and audit report for housing associations, following the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2024.

Key facts

  1. Hillingdon Council provided 510 social housing lettings in the past year, with 271 council homes, as confirmed by Councillor Nick Denys in September 2026. Source
  2. Haringey Council's Cabinet Member for Housing approved plans in September 2026 to build nine new four-bedroom council homes for social rent at a cost of £3,950,256. Source
  3. Hackney Council reported a 29% drop in homelessness prevention success in the first four months of 2026/27 compared to the same period in 2025/26. Source
  4. Barnet Council's Finance and Growth Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee raised concerns in July 2026 over the proposed housing mix for 187 social rented homes in the Dollis Valley Estate Regeneration Scheme. Source
  5. Lewisham Council committed £600 million in February 2026 to build new council homes over the next five years. Source
About this summary

This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on, with background from Wikipedia. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 30 September 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.

Stories, page 3

  1. Haringey Council invests £1.7M to refurbish empty homes and increase social housing availability Haringey Council is set to invest £1.7 million in bringing empty homes back into use, addressing structural deficiencies and increasing the availability of social housing in the... Haringey 20 October 2025
  2. Bellegrove Housing Development Approved: 69 New Homes for Bromley Bromley Council has approved the Bellegrove Housing Development, a £29 million project funded by GLA grant and external borrowing, paving the way for 69 new homes in the borough. Bromley 19 October 2025
  3. Bexley Council Reduces Temporary Housing Costs Through Prevention and Efficient Allocation Bexley Council has seen a significant reduction in temporary housing costs, thanks to a focus on homelessness prevention and efficient allocation of social housing. The council... Bexley 8 October 2025
  4. Wandsworth Council to Audit Housing Association Performance Wandsworth Council is set to introduce an annual performance and audit report to scrutinise the delivery of housing associations (HAs) within the borough, aiming to ensure... Wandsworth 5 October 2025
  5. Croydon Council Revises Housing Allocation Scheme: Extends Residency Rule and Prioritizes Care Experienced Young Adults Croydon Council has extended the residency requirement for social housing applicants from three to six years, following a public consultation. The decision, revealed at a... Croydon 3 October 2025
  6. Council to Question Thames Water Over Burst Main Impact Islington Council is set to question Thames Water and Ofwat following a major burst water main that affected over 30 households in Canonbury on 10 August. The incident, which... Islington 20 September 2025
  7. Hillingdon Council Housing Service Gets C2 Rating After Inspection Hillingdon Council's social housing service has received a consumer grading of C2, the second highest possible, following an inspection by the Regulator of Social Housing. This... Hillingdon 19 September 2025
  8. Lambeth Approves New Homes Hexagon Project with 50% Affordable Housing Lambeth Council has approved the New Homes Hexagon project, a plan that will see Countryside Properties (UK) Limited construct over 500 new homes across six sites in the... Lambeth 29 July 2025