There has been a 41% decline in private rental listings since 2017 combined with a 50% decline in 4 bed properties. At the same time, there has been a rapid rise in the number of people experiencing homelessness.
If you are placed in temporary accommodation in Brent, this will not secure you a council home in the borough.
Even though Brent has been leading the way in building new homes, with the second highest number of new builds completed out of all the London boroughs over the past 10 years, our supply cannot cope with this surge in demand.
The average wait time for a 2-bed home is more than a decade. For 4-bed properties, the wait is over 20 years. There are currently 33,000 households on our social housing waiting list. That’s nearly 1 in 10 of all Brent residents. Some families have been on the list since the last century.
The solution to homelessness is to find a place you can afford in the private rented sector. It is likely that most affordable places are outside of Brent.