The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has thanked the capital’s councils and housing associations for delivering an increase in affordable homes starts, despite economic challenges.

New figures from City Hall show that 3,698 homes funded through the Affordable Homes Programme were started from September to December 2022. These took the total number of starts for the financial year to date to 6,877. This is a more than 50 per cent increase on the total number of homes built by this point last year.

5,360 affordable homes were also completed in the year to the end of December, nearly 900 more than in the same period last year. The building of affordable homes is now underway across London with every borough reporting new starts in the last financial year.

Nearly 10,000 homes started in the previous financial year are at social rent levels – the highest annual figure in the last decade.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “Despite strong economic and political headwinds battering the construction sector, we are once again showing that we can and will put Londoners first by building the genuinely affordable homes they so desperately need.

“Since I became Mayor, council homebuilding in London has hit its highest levels since the 1970s and overall affordable housebuilding is at the highest level since City Hall records began.

“I would like to thank London’s councils, housing associations and our capital’s wider housing sector for their efforts in helping us to continue building a better, fairer London for everyone.

“However, in order to continue making progress the Government must now provide the additional funding we need to safeguard housing delivery in the capital.”

Geeta Nanda OBE, G15 Chair and Chief Executive of Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing, said: “Not-for-profit housing associations are working hard to deliver the genuinely affordable homes London needs, alongside investing around £1billion each year in the existing homes we provide. The latest figures on the delivery of new homes are a testament to the commitment we have to tackling the housing crisis, and the strong partnerships we rely on with the Mayor and local authorities across the city. There is no doubting the massive challenges providers face, such as rising costs and challenges like building safety. That’s why it’s important that the government continues to support the building of much-needed genuinely affordable homes in London, and across the country.”