Londoners are waiting more than five years for a family-sized three-bed social housing property in the capital, new research has found.

The report by Centre for London also highlights that more than 323,000 households in London are currently on a social housing waiting list – more than double the population of Cambridge.

The research shows:

• The average waiting time for studios and one-bed properties is 844 days (two years and three months)
• The average three-bed waiting time is 1863 days (five years and one month)
• The pressures on local councils are not spread evenly across the city. Londoners in East London can expect to wait 2,102 days (five years and nine months) for a three-bed property, over double the length of time a household in South London would expect to wait for a similar property.

Housebuilding of socially rented homes has stalled in recent years. Between 2020/21 and 2022/23, only 1,148 new social rented properties were completed each year.

This new study, produced in partnership with the G15 and with the aid of local councils, shows how London’s social housing is currently failing to meet the needs of Londoners.

Demand has increased rapidly in recent years. One in four Londoners live in poverty after paying for housing costs. Waiting lists increased by 33% between 2017 and 2023 – an additional 81,000 households.

In particular, the research highlights those looking for family-sized homes must wait the longest– five years and nine months on average for a three-bed property.

Despite the acute need, London has seen a net loss of social homes every year over the past decade. Social housing stock is diminishing far quicker than it’s being built. Housing associations home starts have fallen by 92%, while 300,000 of London’s social homes have been sold since start of the Right to Buy scheme.

Antonia Jennings, CEO at Centre for London, said: “The figures revealed in our research are stark. The reality is Londoners are being left for years, sometimes decades, before being allocated a suitable socially rented home.

“This level of uncertainty, and long periods living in inadequate housing, can have real consequences on physical and mental health. The effects are felt across our city, with inadequate housing for Londoners linked to our temporary accommodation crisis, falling family rates in the capital, through to our productivity crisis and status as a successful global city.

“It’s no secret that London is an expensive place to live. Yet in recent years, we’ve seen an explosion in the affordability crisis in the capital. Wages cannot keep up with house prices and rent, leaving one in four Londoners living in poverty after paying for housing costs.

“We cannot wait for this crisis to worsen. While the financial asks from national government are high, the long-term economic and social gains are worth the investment. It’s time the government commit to investment in social housing and start to finally turn the corner on London’s housing crisis.”

Rob Anderson, Research Director at Centre for London, said: “It’s unsurprising yet remains disheartening to see that family-sized homes have such dire waiting times. We’re seeing the reality of this play out as large numbers of children are growing up in temporary accommodation.

“For a child, a five year wait for a safe place to call home could be all their secondary school years. It’s vital that we reduce these waiting times to allow children in the capital to grow up health and happy. If not, we’ll continue to see the worrying trend of an increasingly ‘child-free’ inner London.”