A new temporary housing scheme in South London has been hailed as a "landmark" for its potential to support homeless families. Wandsworth Council has agreed a six-year deal with the London Hotel Group (LHG) to use the 186-room Constitutional House in Tooting, a move expected to save the council up to £6 million.
The scheme aims to keep more homeless families in Wandsworth by tackling the shortage of local accommodation. This is anticipated to improve outcomes for children, given that nearly half of the council's current temporary housing units are located outside the borough.
Located near Tooting Broadway Underground station, each of the 186 units features a kitchenette and bathroom. The facility also offers storage units for each family, a learning centre for children with 25 computers, a faith room, a shared kitchen, an office for council staff, an outdoor play area and garden, laundry facilities, free Wi-Fi, and comprehensive repair services, including 24-hour pest control.
A Landmark Development
Dave Worth, Wandsworth’s Director of Housing Services, said the building was a “landmark development for temporary accommodation in the capital”. He added: “In the 30 years I have been supporting homeless families in London, I have never seen the level of detail and design that has gone into this project. This means we can keep families in our borough, which ensures they can remain connected to their communities, whilst also saving £6m of taxpayers’ money over the next six years through this agreement. It demonstrates what is possible with planning and a true partnership.”
Political Support
Tooting MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan added: “The development breaks new ground for what is possible in London for temporary accommodation, and I would encourage leaders of all London councils to visit and reconsider what they could achieve in their area.”
The council’s Cabinet approved the plans in July last year and the building opened in February. A report by council officers last July said the move would reduce the authority’s reliance on nightly paid arrangements for placing homeless people in temporary accommodation, often in hotels or B&Bs, which were more expensive and unpredictable.
Financial Savings
The council predicted it could save up to £1 million a year by moving families currently in its most expensive placements, often outside of the borough, to the block. The report said the council had placed increasing numbers of homeless people in nightly paid accommodation since 2023. There were 1,737 families in this type of accommodation in May last year, compared to 1,605 families in May 2024 and 1,439 families in May 2023. At the same time, the report added, nightly paid unit rates had increased by 29 per cent since April 2023.
A New Gold Standard
Meher Nawab, LHG’s Chief Executive, said the firm aimed to have projects like Constitutional House in every London borough in five years’ time. He added: “We are really proud of Constitutional House. We wanted to create a new gold standard for temporary accommodation in London and we think we have achieved that.”
The council places people in the block and collects their rent, which will be capped at 90 per cent of the 2011 Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate for the location.
