Like the rest of London, Barking and Dagenham faces a serious shortage of affordable housing. We believe that Inclusive Growth can deliver the new homes that our residents need; comfortable, secure and affordable, no matter your income. And it can improve the quality of those homes that already exist in the Borough, including council owned homes and those in the private rented sector. This is even more important in the context of COVID-19 when so many or our residents are having to deal with the economic consequences of the pandemic

To read more about our plans take a look at B&D Building Together - A summary of our plans for homes in Barking and Dagenham. Or to read about how these plans responds directly to the questions you asked in January 2019, take a look at the questions and answers section below.

B&D Building Together - A summary of our plans for homes in Barking and Dagenham (PDF, 3.2MB)

Questions and answers

Why do we need to build new homes in the first place?

The only way we will meet the housing needs of the borough’s residents is to build more homes. There are a significant number of residents who do not have housing that meets their needs – whether that be because they are homeless, overcrowded or for another reason. We also know the borough’s population is growing, and the number of homes needs to keep up with this growth.

If we do, shouldn't they be for local people and specifically those residents on the housing waiting list?

Yes, new homes should be prioritised for local people. All homes built by the council through Be First will be prioritised for local people.  We need a significant increase in homes for people on the waiting list, and we are building as many of these as we can. We are also building new homes for local working people who struggle to afford private rents or to access home ownership.

Shouldn't they be traditional council houses at council rents? What does affordable really mean?

Our approach is to build homes of different types at a range of sub-market rent levels - and shared ownership - to cater for different needs; to build a mixed community in Barking and Dagenham and meet the aspirations of our residents.

Aren't you relying on private developers to build these homes?

No. The council is building a significant proportion of the new homes being built in the borough itself. Meeting local housing needs does also mean working with private developers. The council has also tasked Be First with actively engaging developers to bring forward high quality developments and to build out planning consents, rather than just sitting on land to make a profit.

Will building new homes come at the expense of our parks and green spaces?

No. The council is committed to building homes, neighbourhoods and communities - not just bricks and mortar. That’s why we are committed to building social and other infrastructure to create great places to live - like schools, play areas, transport, shops and great public realm.

What about trains, buses, doctor's surgeries and shops? Will they be able to keep up?

It’s essential that we have this kind of infrastructure to support new - and existing - homes and communities. Our plans for new homes are matched with an ambitious plan for new and improved infrastructure in the borough. For example, the new station and health hub on Barking Riverside.

What about the homes that are already here? Lots of them need to be improved too...

We agree. We are committed to driving up the quality of services and investment in existing council homes. We have also taken significant steps to improve conditions in the private rented sector.