Islington Council will build 750 new council houses and invest £155 million in updating existing estates to tackle the housing crisis.
The council announced on 15 March that the Islington council houses will be built in 2026-27 to provide affordable housing for residents, who will be given priority for new homes.
Councillor Diarmaid Ward, Executive Member for Housing and Development, said: “Everyone deserves a safe, decent, and genuinely affordable place to call home.”
“In Islington, as across London, people face a housing crisis. We will build 750 more much-needed council homes, to help transform the lives of thousands of our residents.”
??"Today, we are announcing we are committed to building 750 more much needed council homes in our borough over the next four years."
– @diarmaid_w pic.twitter.com/zP2TSYQoL0
— Islington Council (@IslingtonBC) March 15, 2022
The initiative forms part of the borough’s handling of the national housing crisis, where council homes are scarce, and housing is increasingly unaffordable.
The number of households waiting for social housing in Islington increased by almost 3,000 in the 10 years leading up to 2021, according to data from the Department for Communities and Local Government.
The council will also invest £145 million between now and 2025 to upgrade Islington estates, including making them safer and greener. Investment will aim to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon output, as well as upgrading fire safety, lifts, and CCTV. New kitchens, bathrooms and windows will also be installed.
An additional £10 million investment will be used to transform public spaces on Islington’s estates.
“Having a safe and decent home is also about the spaces where we live – and we will invest an extra £10 million in our estates, from planting trees and plants, to giving better playgrounds and sports areas,” said Cllr Ward.
Cllr Ward announced the plans at the opening of 26 new council homes on Dover Court Estate, where he said: “I want to thank you all for your patience over the last few years while we’ve been building these desperately needed new homes.”
“We’re really pleased with the new homes, with the community space, and we hope that you really enjoy it for years and years to come.”
