Sadiq Khan set to fall well short of London's affordable housing target, figures show

"The Mayor of London looks set to fall well short of affordable housing targets set by the Government, new data shows. But Sir Sadiq Khan still looks set to fall short of the adjusted target, according to new figures released by City Hall. Just 7,878 homes were started under the 2021-2026 AHP between July 2023 when it was signed off and December 2025. This includes 5,188 from July 2023 to March 2025, and a further 2,690 since."

"A City Hall source noted that housing starts in the 2021-26 AHP more than doubled compared to the same period last year, from 1,249 to 2,690. They also said council housing starts increased by nearly five times from 228 to 1,371 in the same period. The Mayor has come under heavy criticism in the past for his record on housebuilding."

"They have taken steps in recent months to rectify the issue, including slashing affordability quotas and launching a multi-billion pound fund which will offer 0.1 per cent interest loans to developers. However, his record on delivering affordable homes was today branded a failure by the City Hall Conservatives housing spokesman Lord Bailey, who called on ministers to intervene in the capital. London's latest affordable housing figures lay bare the scale of failure at City Hall, he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS)."

London started just 7,878 homes under the 2021–2026 Affordable Homes Programme between July 2023 and December 2025, leaving the city well below target. Housing starts more than doubled year-on-year in the latest period and council housing starts rose nearly fivefold, but completions remain low, with only 1,898 homes completed from the £4 billion programme. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor attribute low delivery to high interest rates, rising construction costs and Building Safety Regulator delays. Measures introduced include cutting affordability quotas and launching a multi-billion pound fund offering 0.1% interest loans to developers. Conservatives called for ministerial intervention.

Read at www.standard.co.uk