Ealing Council has delivered less than half the “genuinely affordable homes” it pledged ahead of the 2022 local elections, according to figures published by the council.
The shortfall at the Labour-run council has drawn criticism from opposition politicians, with one describing the figures as “a shocking failure of local government”.
The latest figures, published by the council ahead of the local elections on 7 May 2026, have drawn scrutiny.
In a statement to EALING.NEWS (published in full below), Councillor Shital Manro, cabinet member for good growth and new homes, said the slowdown reflected a wider trend across London, with affordable housing starts falling sharply in recent years.
He said housing providers were facing “serious financial pressures including higher borrowing costs [and] rising construction prices”, alongside added regulatory requirements and delays to development.
Separate data relating to a Greater London Authority (GLA) grant awarded in 2018 also highlights the gap between targets and progress. The council had aimed to deliver 1,138 homes using £99.35m in funding. A Freedom of Information request revealed that 180 homes have been completed so far, with work started on 836. The council has spent £71.9m of the grant, according to the same data.
Councillor Jon Ball, Ealing Lib Dems spokesperson on housing and development, told EALING.NEWS of his concerns: “It is appalling that the Labour administration has failed quite so abjectly to meet its pledge to the people of Ealing on delivering affordable homes. This is a tragedy for the thousands of people who are homeless or struggling in unsuitable accommodation in the borough.
“This failure also comes at a huge cost to council tax payers. The council is using our money to pay to demolish half-build affordable housing blocks in West Ealing and elsewhere. The council is paying to put people in expensive but unsuitable hotels and hostels when they should be living in decent affordable homes, and the Labour administration refuses to reveal whether there is an additional major cost to the council due to having to repay grants. I asked this formal written question to the portfolio holder last month but have yet to receive a reply: How much of the almost £100m GLA grant LBE received for building affordable homes will the council or Broadway Living have to return as a result of failure to deliver the majority of the promised number of homes?
“Labour’s housing delivery failure shows that Ealing residents should not believe the pledges that Labour make in the election campaign that is now commencing. The Liberal Democrat opposition provide a credible alternative for Ealing.”
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, Councillor Julian Gallant said he was concerned about the number of homes delivered. He said: “The figures tell you all. This is a shocking failure of local government. Ealing Council was in receipt of a huge GLA subsidy yet has completed only a fraction of the affordable housing it promised.”
Councillor Gallant added: “Ealing Labour continues to blame external factors like the “times” and the “industry” when it should be admitting serious errors of its own. Our borough deserves better. On 7 May, Ealing can vote for a new Conservative administration with a solid plan.”
Commenting on Ealing Council’s performance, Neil Reynolds, chair of Ealing Green Party told EALING.NEWS: “Ealing deserves better than Labour’s record on housing. They have failed to build enough affordable homes and there is the scandal Henry’s collapse. The Green Party has a policy of the council building homes directly, if elected in May we will tackle the housing crisis.”
EALING.NEWS asked Ealing Council whether the original 4,000-home target was achievable, what impact the collapse of contractor Henry Construction may have had, and what due diligence was carried out before contracts were awarded. These points were not directly addressed in the council’s statement.
Full statement to EALING.NEWS from Councillor Shital Manro, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for good growth and new homes:
“The drop in affordable housing starts in Ealing borough in 2025, which has continued this year too, has been significant and reflects a wider trend across London. According to the Greater London Authority’s ‘Housing in London 2024’ report, affordable home starts funded by the Mayor of London fell by 91% between 2022/23 and 2023/24 – from over 25,000 to just over 2,300.
“Housing associations and councils – the main organisations responsible for building affordable homes – are facing serious financial pressures including higher borrowing costs, rising construction prices and competing demands from building safety and refurbishment work. At the same time, new regulations and planning requirements added complexity and delays to the development process. Private developers are also struggling to build, particularly in lower-value areas.
“Despite these challenges, the council is reacting the quickest of all London boroughs to address the problem and keeping home building going and we remain committed to delivering genuinely affordable homes and continue to work with partners to bring forward new schemes. The latest data shows we are first in London for affordable housing starts directly led by the council (290) and second in London for total affordable housing starts (321).
“Across the borough, more than 1,800 new genuinely affordable homes have been built or started since 2022 — one of the biggest council homebuilding programmes in the country. This means new beginnings for families in Acton Gardens, Copley Close, High Lane in Hanwell, Northolt Grange and Golf Links in Greenford, where high-quality homes are now letting to local people on low incomes. More than 35% of all homes built in the borough over the past 4 years are affordable, far exceeding national benchmarks. We have also recently purchased 290 homes, under construction by private sector developers in the borough, that will be transferred into social rent homes, to let to council tenants.
“The government’s new Social and Affordable Homes Programme has just been launched and Ealing Council is preparing to bid for a £500 million grant to bring forward over 2,500 new affordable homes across the borough over the course of the next 10 years.
“We know having a decent, secure place to call home is the absolute foundation of a good life and, despite the huge challenges in the construction sector, we are taking decisive actions to ensure we get as many genuinely affordable homes as possible built for local people.”
