Building new homes to change lives in Lambeth

Tackling Lambeth’s housing crisis is one of the greatest responsibilities we face as a local authority, but also our greatest challenge. The situation is unacceptable and demands urgent action, which is why I am determined that Lambeth Council will do all it can to tackle the issue, while also lobbying alongside other London boroughs for change.

We know the new government is very aware of the issues that have created this situation, and their pledge to build the new homes we need has been clearly set out. But as a council we also need to play our role, which is why we have launched the Building for Lambeth new homes programme.

“We have secured planning permission for Building for Lambeth and have set up further plans to build more than 1,000 new homes over the coming years”

We believe this is a bold, values-led approach to building new housing in our borough with a clear purpose of maximising the delivery of affordable housing while also putting our residents at the heart of shaping their communities.

In its first year the programme has achieved a significant milestone, securing planning permission and setting up further plans to build more than 1,000 new homes over the coming years. This work demonstrates that, even in a period of financial instability, rising construction costs, planning delays and limited previous government investment, progress is possible when ambition is matched with action.

Every new home delivered in Lambeth is a life transformed. It is a family moving out of temporary accommodation. It is a key worker who can live close to their job. It is a young person able to remain in the borough where they grew up.

Resetting our approach to building new homes has enabled us to take decisive steps forward. We now have concrete plans for a majority of council-owned sites, and have brought forward new development opportunities and strengthened partnerships with registered housing providers and the private sector.

Our New Homes Hexagon portfolio covering six council-owned sites across Lambeth will see 500 new homes created, of which 50% will be affordable. We’ve secured planning with a development partner for a Brixton Town Centre housing scheme at 56% affordable, and are restarting our estate renewal schemes. We’re leaving no stone unturned in the hunt for housing opportunities that we can deliver at pace.

Our Building for Lambeth campaign will bring Lambeth residents on the journey with us. We will hold open and transparent discussions with our residents to ensure we can successfully and fully play our role in building the new homes our borough both needs and deserves.

The programme is intentional in its focus on building Lambeth homes that residents can genuinely afford. National housing policy has for too long moved away from supporting social rent, the tenure that most effectively meets housing need.

Lambeth is reversing that trend by placing social rent at the heart of our delivery plans, alongside affordable rent and shared ownership, ensuring a range of homes that reflect the needs of our community.

“We now have concrete plans for a majority of council-owned sites, and have strengthened partnerships with registered housing providers and the private sector”

The 1,000 homes unlocked in the programme’s first year are an important step forward, but they are only the beginning. We are targeting at least 600 affordable homes by 2030 on council-owned land, within a wider pipeline of around 2,000 new homes to be delivered.

Beyond this, Lambeth’s growth plan sets out our ambition to deliver 10,000 homes borough-wide over the next decade, securing as many genuinely affordable homes as possible and creating sustainable, high-quality neighbourhoods for the future.

Lambeth will continue to act with urgency, creativity and resolve. We will keep building at scale, securing investment and working with partners to overcome national barriers. We will continue to place fairness and affordability at the centre of our delivery, ensuring we place new goals for ourselves every year until we make a dent in the housing crisis.

Housing is not a privilege. It is a fundamental human right. By resetting our delivery approach, we have shown what is possible. We will keep building on this momentum until every Lambeth resident has access to the safe, secure, and affordable home they deserve.

Danny Adilypour, deputy leader and cabinet member for housing, investment and new homes, Lambeth Council