Why should we care about housing in the local elections?

Housing - and particularly affordable housing - is one of the hot topics in London's forthcoming local elections, as one of the biggest pressures facing local authorities, with widespread repercussions.

We look at the responsibilities of councils, the main housing issues the country is facing, and what the main political parties are posing as solutions to a deepening nationwide housing crisis.

While councils have the most influence and power at the bottom end of the housing market, they have a number of housing duties. Here are some of the key ones:

• They must legally provide temporary accommodation in some situations, often working with housing associations
• Councils own their own housing stock, which they are required to maintain and repair. Of the 33 local authorities in the capital, 29 own social housing stock
• They deliver new housing stock; planning teams decide where new homes are built
• Deciding the rate of council tax to raise money for public services

When it comes to housing, the picture is pretty bleak.

• There are record levels of people living in temporary accommodation - across London and across the country

• There are record levels of people in social housing

• There are rising numbers of rough sleepers

London councils spend £5.5m a day on homelessness, according to 2024-25 figures - up 42% from the previous year.

This is largely because there aren't enough affordable homes to meet demand.

Despite a big push to build more in the next few years, London is set to miss its housing targets.

"We are in one of the worst situations I've seen," says Francesca Albanese, executive director of policy at the homeless charity Crisis UK.

"More and more people are pushed to the edge."

She's calling for housing to be "front and centre" of political party minds, urging them to "look at solutions now rather than building homes in the future".

While there are differing opinions on how to fix the housing crisis, there is widespread agreement that more affordable homes are needed.

Research by the Centre for London thinktank shows that despite the number of homes per person roughly staying the same since the early 2000s, affordability has got worse.

Its CEO Antonia Jennings told BBC London: "It's much harder to get on to the housing ladder. And there are fewer incentives to get off the housing ladder once you're in an oversized family home towards the end of your life.

"We'd like distribution factors to be really addressed and for us to relook at things like council tax and stamp duty to see if they can incentivise better allocation of housing in London."

She adds that housing is the "biggest drag on poverty in the city".

"Once you get housing right, a lot of our other challenges become easier."

This is a message echoed by Ian McDermott, chair of the G15, the largest collection of housing associations in London.

"Housing is a really difficult issue because it requires long-term investment but if you look at health, education, economic growth, all of those things intersect making housing a really big issue.

"Planning is always going to be a fundamentally important issue but also demand and affordability of housing. If it's not affordable to rent or to buy, the capital really is in trouble."

BBC London asked the major political parties what their top housing priorities were ahead of the local election.

Labour

• Build the homes London needs with an £11bn boost to social and affordable housebuilding in the capital
• Back renters with the Renters' Rights Bill banning no-fault evictions, clamping down on unfair rent hikes and driving up standards in repairs
• Reform planning and leasehold, ending the feudal model, cutting red tape that blocks new homes

Conservatives

• Hold London Mayor Sadiq Khan to account for failing to meet housing targets
• Prioritise the delivery of more family homes across the capital
• Protect London's green belt by focusing development on brownfield sites

Green Party

• Build the genuinely affordable homes needed – family-sized social housing, not tiny, overpriced "luxury" flats
• End the "cosy relationship between councils and developers/lobbyists that puts developer interests ahead of residents'
• Empower councils to push central government to grant the right to implement rent controls

Liberal Democrats

• Build more new homes, including social homes, to end the housing crisis
• Ensure homes are accessible for everyone in London, including those with disabilities
• Make sure that with new homes comes infrastructure and services like GPs and schools

Reform UK

• Get young Londoners on to the housing ladder
• Expedite planning decisions and remove unnecessary requirements on developments
• Ensure that British citizens, veterans and those with strong local connections are prioritised for social housing

It's hard to underestimate the scale of the problem - but the solutions are up for debate.

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