Delivering Fairer Housing

Fairer Housing means ensuring everyone's housing needs are met, from families to social care users. In October, we opened a new housing service in Pimlico, allowing more of our residents to speak face-to-face with our staff. Since then, we have opened another in Bayswater, with one in Soho also soon to come. This has been a key priority following feedback from residents who want housing officers to be closer to the community.

We also completed our 300 Harrow Road development, a 100 per cent truly affordable housing scheme and the first major development under our Fairer Housing commitment to provide more genuinely affordable and high-quality housing. This development is also the first in the country to provide the highest airflow rates for any heating and cooling system of its type, keeping homes at the desired temperature all year round at a low cost.

We are also excited to announce that we now have two Green Heritage Accreditations, making us the only borough in the UK with a Green Heritage Accreditation for a housing estate. Hallfield Estate has secured the coveted Green Flag, which reflects major progress we've made in preserving and enhancing historical features within our green spaces.​

Below we have highlighted other ways we have delivered during October to December this year*. Although progress continues to be made, we know there is still work to do as we deliver our Fairer Westminster strategy.​

^{(* based on the latest positions available at the end of December 2023)}

Our aim is to make sure the housing needs of everyone are met...

In keeping with our Truly Affordable Housing strategy, we are committed to building more truly affordable homes. By the end of 2023/24 we aim to have completed 197 affordable units. We have also started building 152 units (53 homes that were originally due to be completed in 23/24, will now be completed during 24/25). Achievements this quarter include the completion of 300 Harrow Road, which is providing 77 new social and 35 new intermediate homes.

Our aim is to improve our housing’s energy efficiency, reduce emissions and lower energy bills...

By the end of December, we had completed ‘Wave 1’ of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, improving the energy efficiency of social housing. 46 retrofitted homes had been delivered between April and June, 72 between July and September, and a further 65 by December.

We exceeded the target of 360 units for Wave 1 by 50 units and have made good progress for SHDF Wave 2. In addition, 10 blocks on the Warwick Estate home to over 300 residents, had PV installed to feed into the Grid and reduce their communal electricity charge.

Our aim is to improve the quality of our homes and ensure they are well managed...

A significant amount of work has been undertaken in relation to compliance inspections and auditing of licenced properties to check conditions and works requested to improve standards. This target has already been exceeded and is ahead of expectations. Whilst compliance rates amongst landlords have been high, 11 financial penalties have been issued where landlords have failed to comply with licensing requirements or who have failed to complete works on time. So far this year, 226 significant fire safety hazards have been removed from licenced properties.

Our aim is reduce homelessness in the city by providing support to those in need...

Between April 2023 and December 2023, Housing Solutions Service have prevented 497 cases of homelessness in which 370 preventions were placed in alternative Private Rented Sector accommodation. This represents a 22% increase in preventions compared to the same period in 2022/23. We are however seeing limited available supply in affordable Private Rented Sector accommodation compared to demand which has seen a 35% increase (in approaches) compared to the same period last year.