The Greater London Authority has fallen short of its revised affordable housing target, with the number of new starts failing to reach expectations, despite the original goal having already been reduced.
The latest affordable housing monitor published by the London Assembly showed that the mayor of London’s portion of the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26 had delivered a cumulative 14,335 affordable housing starts by March 2026. That’s more than 3,000 short of 17,800-19,000 target, which was reduced in March 2025 from 23,900-27,200.
The shortfall reflects continuing challenges across the residential construction sector, including higher build costs, viability pressures and a slowdown in development activity.
Speaking about the figures, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “Despite the extremely challenging conditions facing the housing sector, we’ve continued to deliver genuinely affordable homes for Londoners.”
However, industry leaders have warned that rising construction costs, planning delays and constrained funding continue to limit the pace of delivery. For developers, self-build professionals and the wider supply chain, the latest figures reinforce the need for greater certainty around planning, investment and affordable housing policy if new housing delivery is to accelerate.
The missed target comes as the government continues to prioritise increasing housing supply nationwide, with affordable housing remaining a central part of efforts to address the UK’s housing shortage.