London Affordable Housing Starts Drop Below 350 in Q1 2025

London Mayor Sadiq Khan's efforts to tackle the capital's housing crisis have been widely criticized as falling significantly short of targets, with only 347 affordable housing starts recorded in the first quarter of 2025. Despite Khan's announcement of delivering 8,000 new homes through the Land Fund project ahead of schedule, critics highlight that this is well below the 88,000 homes per year target set by his own government to address the acute housing shortage. The Greater London Authority's Affordable Homes Programme has also seen a drastic reduction in starts, with only 5,535 affordable homes begun since 2021 against a target of at least 17,800 by 2026, leaving a substantial shortfall. Khan's office attributes delays to national funding issues, high interest rates, building cost increases, regulatory holdups, and Brexit impacts, while opposition voices, including City Hall Conservatives and housing experts, accuse him of failing to manage the crisis effectively. The shortage of affordable homes continues to exacerbate London's housing emergency, with rising rents and mortgages burdening residents. As London approaches the 2026 deadline, there is mounting pressure on Khan to accelerate construction and meet even the reduced targets.