The number of local authority-owned homes with serious hazards has tripled to 8,107 in just a year.
The figure for 2018-2019 increased from 2,676 a year earlier, with the bulk of hazards concentrated in the capital, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.
London’s number shot up from 764 category one homes with serious hazards risking health and safety to 4,842.
The data revealed that the number of people in London boroughs on council housing waiting lists living in “insanitary, overcrowded or unsatisfactory” housing soared by 8% to 93,400.
In England there are 245,900 people in poor-quality homes, a rise of 5%.
Local authorities are battling growing housing waiting lists and shrinking stock. An additional 42,800 families were added to council house waiting lists in the year, bringing this number to 1,157,300.
Some 21% of households on waiting lists are in London and 38% of people in unsatisfactory conditions are in London.
Local authorities own 1,587,200 homes. This is a small dip from 1,592,141 on the previous year. In London there are 391,000 local authority-owned homes, compared to 394,000 a year ago.
More than 98% of this housing is social rented, which requires it to meet the Decent Homes Standard.
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