The Government has just published its Live tables on affordable housing supply
Housing Headlines: Affordable Home Supply Holds Steady but Starts Plummet
New figures from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities reveal that while completions of affordable homes in England remain relatively stable, the number of new starts has fallen sharply — especially in London.
According to Live Table 1000, 62,289 affordable homes were completed in 2023–24, just 2% down on the previous year. This is the second-highest total since 2014–15, indicating that delivery pipelines have held up—for now.
But beneath the headline, there’s cause for concern.
Starts on affordable homes fell by 39%, to just 43,439 — the lowest figure since 2016–17.
London was hit hardest: starts dropped from over 26,000 in 2022–23 to just 3,156 — a staggering 88% fall.
Rental vs. Ownership
The mix of affordable housing completions has remained broadly consistent:
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65% of completions were for affordable rent, social rent or intermediate rent.
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Shared ownership made up the bulk of the remaining delivery.
Notably, social rent completions reached 9,866 homes, the highest level in a decade.
Who’s Building What?
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79% of all affordable homes were built by private registered providers (mostly housing associations).
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14% were delivered by local authorities.
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2% came from non-registered providers (e.g. developers under planning gain).
Section 106 agreements remained vital, delivering 44% of completions — showing how reliant councils remain on developer-led delivery.
Warning Signs Ahead
While completions are holding steady for now, the collapse in starts—especially in the capital—suggests that delivery could falter in future years without immediate policy intervention.
Propertymark and other industry groups are already calling on the Mayor of London and national government to prioritise housing supply over other competing goals, such as climate targets, arguing that affordability and availability must come first.
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