The number of affordable homes in Bromley has been revealed in newly released government data spanning the past 15 years.
The figures track the number of affordable dwellings – including council homes and housing association properties – from 2009 to 2024.
These homes are typically offered at below-market rents or sale prices to help people on low to moderate incomes secure housing.
Following the 2008 financial crash, Bromley had 18,699 affordable homes in 2009. Numbers rose slightly over the next few years, reaching 19,163 in 2012, before dipping in the mid-2010s.
By 2015, the number of affordable homes stood at 18,993, a figure that remained relatively steady until a small climb began in 2016.
From there, the numbers slowly increased, peaking in 2023 with 19,382 homes. However, there was a slight drop in 2024, with 19,244 affordable properties recorded.
The data sheds light on the borough’s ongoing housing needs as demand continues to rise across London.
Rob Houghton, CEO of reallymoving, said: āIf First Time Buyers focus only on average house prices, the dream of owning a home may seem like an impossible task, but those numbers donāt tell the full story.
āFirst Time Buyers will find the greatest choice of properties by looking east towards East London, Essex and Kent, with affordability hotspots such as Purfleet, Gravesend and Watford all commutable by train into central London within 30 minutes.
āBut there are also locations in north, south and west London in the top 20 list, where First Time Buyers with an average budget can access huge swathes of the market.
āWhile high house prices are a challenge, affordability is key and with interest rates now coming down we will see lenders become increasingly competitive in terms of Loan to Values and rates, so thereās every reason to be hopeful.
āI would urge First Time Buyers to focus their search on the areas with good transport links which offer them a really wide choice of properties, rather than assuming a purchase is unachievable.ā
