Who gets a council home?

24 November 2025

There are over 323,000 households on waiting lists, and record numbers of Londoners living in Temporary Accommodation. Councils are responsible for allocating social homes and the current allocation system faces challenges of equity, efficiency, and a lack of public trust.

Local housing authorities use different criteria and processes to allocate social housing, resulting in significant disparities in outcomes across boroughs. Policy campaigners, activists and legal experts argue this variation results in a ‘’postcode lottery’’ for Londoners seeking a secure, social home across the capital.

The London Assembly Housing Committee will meet tomorrow with local housing authority (council) representatives to discuss allocating social housing in London, exploring issues such as transparency on waiting times, the extent to which allocation policies make the best use of the social housing available, and what happens when a tenant dies. The Committee will also seek to understand views from local housing authorities on the Mayor’s social housing mobility schemes: Housing Moves and Seaside and County Homes.

The guests are:

 Richard Sorensen, Director of Housing Needs, London Borough of Lambeth

• Grace Williams, Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration, London Councils and Leader, London Borough of Waltham Forest
• Ian Swift, Director of Housing Operations, London Borough of Islington

The meeting will take place on Tuesday 25 November 2025 from 10am in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.

 Media and members of the public are invited to attend.

The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.

 Notes

1. Zoë Garbett AM, Chair of the Housing Committee, is available for interview.
2. Find out more about the work of the Housing Committee.
3. Read the agenda in full.
4. As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.

 

source: london.gov.uk