THE number of London families stuck on housing waiting lists has risen, the National Housing Federation warns. There were 355,000 families on waiting lists in the past 12 months, a rise of 1,260 compared to the previous 12 months

By Mike Brooke

THE number of London families stuck on housing waiting lists has risen again due to a chronic lack of affordable’ homes, the National Housing Federation warns.

There were almost 355,000 families recorded on waiting lists in the past 12 months, a rise of 1,260 compared to the previous 12 months. Lists got longer in 22 London boroughs.

Longest queues of all were in East London, with 28,650 families in Newham and 19,680 families in neighbouring Tower Hamlets registered for housing, representing around 120,000 adults and children, according to latest Federation figures. Hackney had 11,500 families queuing.

And it is getting worse compared to the rest of the metropolis. Numbers increased by nearly 7,000 in four of the five Olympic host’ boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Waltham Forest. The biggest rise in London was in Waltham Forest, with almost 4,700 more families joining the queue.

The Housing Federation’s London region head Belinda Porich warned: “There is a danger many will simply give up hope, unless more new homes are built.”

Suburban areas of East London bordering Essex did little better, with combined increases recorded of almost 2,900 in Barking & Dagenham, Redbridge and Havering.

But waiting lists fell in 11 London boroughs, mainly in central, west and north-west London. The only Olympic borough to improve was Greenwich in south-east London, where the waiting list went down nearly 5,600.