London council to partner up with housing associations to build more affordable housing

It comes after consultations with residents revealed affordability remains one of the most “significant challenges” facing the borough, with over 6,300 households on the borough’s social housing register, and more than 1,000 in temporary accommodation.

Barking and Dagenham’s population also grew by 18% between 2011 and 2021, from just over 185,900 to around 218,900 residents, the third-largest percentage increase of any local authority in England over that period.

“Residents consistently highlighted the shortage of social housing and reported that affordable rents remain out of reach for many local households,” the council said.

“Younger residents in particular raised concerns that rising private rents and house prices are increasingly limiting their ability to remain in the borough”, it added.

In addition to the emphasis on partnerships, the strategy also commits to a borough-wide affordable housing target of 50% and policies which prioritise homes for social rent.

To accelerate delivery and improve environmental standards, the council said it will assess the viability of modern methods of construction (MMC), including modular approaches, and set up a dedicated MMC programme to support this work.

According to the strategy, which was published this week, the borough has a significant housing development pipeline led by schemes delivered through Be First.

Inside Housing’s Biggest Council Builders, published last December, revealed that LBBD built 384 homes in 2024-25, all via its council-owned company. In 2024, the authority was top of the leaderboard with 879 homes.

The borough’s housing delivery target, set by the London Plan 2021, is 1,944 homes annually. LBBD aims to deliver at least 38,864 new homes across the period of its local plan up to 2037.

Delivery is expected to increase gradually, reaching around 2,100 homes per year in the late 2020s.

According to the strategy, council residents also experience severe overcrowding, with almost one in five living in homes with fewer bedrooms than they need, one of the highest rates in England and Wales.

To tackle this, the council is setting up a taskforce to support overcrowded households in finding suitable housing solutions.

The council is also promoting rightsizing for under-occupying tenants, returning empty homes to use and supporting developments on infill sites.

Other priorities include reducing the use of B&Bs, improving overall temporary accommodation provision by working more closely with providers and landlords and expanding private-sector leasing arrangements.

The council said it will carry out regular inspections and monitoring to uphold standards and will increase its in-house provision to reduce reliance on unsuitable B&B accommodation.

As of mid-2025, over 1,000 local households were in temporary accommodation, including families placed in bed-and-breakfast (B&B) hotels, despite these not being suitable for prolonged stays, the strategy said. 

Maureen Worby, cabinet member for adult social care, health and housing, said: “The council’s housing strategy is about putting residents first but also being honest about the scale of the challenge we face. Barking and Dagenham is changing fast, and we are determined to make sure that change works for everyone.

“It starts here with safe, affordable homes that people can rely on – homes that give families stability, support good health and open the door to opportunity. We’re proud to be one of the top affordable house builders in London, but there’s more to do. 

“This five-year strategy sets out how we will continue to work with partners to deliver the homes our borough needs, now and for the future.”