affordable housing – Better Homes Enfield

No Evidence. No New Town.

A new report on the proposed Crews Hill and Chase Park new town. This report is for people interested in the proposed new town at Crews Hill and Chase Park. It does not argue for or against the new town. Instead, it seeks to highlight issues which have so far been ignored, underplayed, or misrepresented.Continue reading “No Evidence. No New Town.”

Enfield Labour’s poor housing record

Ahead of the local election on May 7th, the Mayor of London has this week called for people to “… vote on the track record of their local councils, rather than using it as a referendum on the imperfections of a Labour government.” [1] Fair enough. So that is what we have done. We lookedContinue reading “Enfield Labour’s poor housing record”

Temporary Accommodation: A False Economy

How government underfunding, high rents and policy failure are driving homelessness in Enfield and across London IN BRIEF Rates of homelessness in Enfield are among the highest in the country. The government’s most recent homelessness data shows there are still over 3,000 Enfield households living in temporary accommodation, including over 4,500 children. [1] The routeContinue reading “Temporary Accommodation: A False Economy”

There’s a housing crisis, but the number of empty homes in Enfield is the highest in nearly 20 years

Government data shows there were over 4,500 empty homes across Enfield at the end of 2025, the highest number recorded in nearly 20 years. Bringing empty homes back into use is not the one answer to Enfield’s housing crisis. But it is one of the few levers that can add homes back into use relativelyContinue reading “There’s a housing crisis, but the number of empty homes in Enfield is the highest in nearly 20 years”

Enfield Council has been amongst the worst in London for building new Social Rent homes.

Since 2010, Enfield has gone backwards on Social Rent housing. Social Rent (including London Affordable Rent) is the only genuinely affordable housing option for many of Enfield’s households, including people stuck in temporary accommodation and families living in overcrowded or insecure private rented homes. So, when we talk about “housing delivery,” we cannot just talkContinue reading “Enfield Council has been amongst the worst in London for building new Social Rent homes.”

Alma Estate Redevelopment: Planning approval setback for affordable housing in Enfield

Introduction The redevelopment of the Alma Estate in Ponders End marks a significant transformation for this post-war estate. Initially approved in 2017, the project aimed to create a modern, sustainable community by demolishing 746 homes and constructing 993 new ones. Subsequent planning applications have increased the number of homes to 1,080, and last night, Enfield’sContinue reading “Alma Estate Redevelopment: Planning approval setback for affordable housing in Enfield”

Meridian Water: A cautionary tale of unrealistic expectations

In 2009/10, Enfield Council claimed over 2,500 new homes would be built at Meridian Water by 2023/24. However, only 20 have been completed – that’s less than 1% of the projected number. [1,2] The council’s projections for housing delivery at Meridian Water were based on ‘extensive work’ and ‘conservative’ start dates, and were accepted byContinue reading “Meridian Water: A cautionary tale of unrealistic expectations”

Shared Ownership homes at Meridian Water have gone on sale, but can local people afford them?

The first ‘affordable’ Shared Ownership flats at Enfield Council’s Meridian Water development are now being advertised, but costs for these homes are well above what most local people can afford. [1] New two-bedroom homes on the development are currently priced between £427,000 and £590,000. [2] This means that acquiring the minimum 50% Shared Ownership stakeContinue reading “Shared Ownership homes at Meridian Water have gone on sale, but can local people afford them?”

No new Social Rent Housing in Enfield for past 2 years.

The latest affordable housing data shows that no new Social Rent homes have been built in Enfield for at least two years. Figures also show that the number of newly built ‘London Affordable Rent’ homes fell from 136 to 129. This bucks the London wide trend which recorded a 25% increase in Social Rent completionsContinue reading “No new Social Rent Housing in Enfield for past 2 years.”