London housing: An assessment

Headline news about housing in London concentrates on homelessness and rooflessness, on the difficulties faced by people trying to find owner‐occupied housing that they can afford, and by those trying to pay for the accomodation they have already bought. Whilst these problems are immensely important, especially to the individuals involved, they are also symptoms of wider difficulties in the way in which the housing system operates in London. This article looks behind these difficulties to describe the underlying housing situation, the way the system works, and why London's housing problems will continue to make the headlines. Finally, on the basis of existing trends, the article explains what is likely to happen over the next decade.