Providing more genuinely affordable homes for residents

This is a core part of the council’s commitment to making it happen for residents by investing in the things that matter most. 

Since December 2024, 74 new council homes have been delivered, with another 78 nearing completion. On Elthorne Estate 46 council homes have recently been completed, with 20 more soon ready on the Andover Estate and 11 on Parkview Estate. Construction is underway on 17 council homes at Beaumont Rise, and 19 council homes for people who have experienced homelessness at St John’s Mansions will be completed in the coming months. 

Major future developments at Barnsbury Estate and Holloway Park will deliver hundreds more homes for social rent and we will continue to do everything we can to continue to build.  

Consultations continue on potential schemes across the borough. At Vorley Road, planning permission has been secured for 33 homes for social rent, alongside a new GP surgery, library and Access Islington Hub.  

Planning permission has also been granted for 54 new homes on the Bemerton Estate South, including 23 for social rent, and for the New Barnsbury Estate redevelopment, enabling 1,116 new homes including 291 replacement and 135 additional social rent homes. Following a design review, a revised planning application for 24 council homes on Harvist Estate will be submitted next month. 

Alongside building, the council is also buying more homes. A total of 707 homes have been purchased through one of the UK’s largest acquisition programmes. More homes are being unlocked through planning processes, downsizing support and action against housing fraud. Between April and December 2025, 71 properties were recovered and £253,430 in illegal profits reclaimed. 

Cllr John Woolf, Executive Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods, said: 
“Every resident deserves a safe, secure and genuinely affordable home.  

“We are delivering this by building new council homes, buying more properties, supporting downsizing, and tackling housing fraud, while using our planning powers to maximise genuinely affordable homes on all sites.  

“This work shows how we're making it happen for families across the borough, and we will keep pushing to provide the high quality, genuinely affordable homes our communities need.” 

The scale of the challenge remains significant, with an ongoing housing crisis. Private rents have risen by 13 per cent, more than 16,500 households are on the Housing Register in Islington and homelessness has increased by 25 per cent in London. Despite this, the council continues to use every power available to deliver more genuinely affordable homes for residents who need a safe and secure place to live.