Thousands of people on the housing register will be offered the chance to input into a new housing option that will help more people in the borough find a secure home that meets their needs.
There are currently around 29,000 households looking for help from the council with housing. In December 2024, to address the ongoing housing crisis, the Royal Borough of Greenwich agreed to create an intermediate housing register to help residents build a life and career in the borough while supporting employers to recruit staff who are crucial to the local economy.
Intermediate housing offers both homes for rent and for sale and is aimed at eligible working residents who may find it difficult to afford the costs of renting or buying a home on the open market but are not likely to be allocated a home on our housing register. These homes are priced above social rent but below market levels, providing a more affordable way for people to secure a suitable home.
To support this, the council has developed the draft list of priority job roles in partnership with the local NHS, schools and universities, emergency services, businesses and other local authority partners. The roles range from teaching assistants working with pupils with SEND, mental health nurses, workers in children’s homes to specialist podiatrists. They are vital to the borough’s public services but are challenging for the council and our partners to recruit to and maintain adequate staffing levels.
We are now inviting residents to let us know what they think about these priority roles to ensure that the final list reflects the needs of the community.
Councillor Pat Slattery, Cabinet Member for Housing Management, Neighbourhoods and Homelessness, said: “We’re exploring every avenue that we can to be able to provide people with access to a safe and secure home that meets their needs - which is a key part of our Housing Our Greenwich ambition. We are still very much in the middle of a housing crisis, with more people needing homes than we have homes available.
“Intermediate housing is one example of what we are developing to help people that are caught in that gap of working but not being able to afford full market rates. This type of housing won’t be suitable for everyone, and for others, waiting for a council home on our housing register may still be their only option. But this provides another option to help working residents settle and build a life in this borough.
“Please make sure you have your say in our survey, so we capture the needs of local people.”
People in priority bands on our housing register who are interested in exploring this type of housing option will have first priority to join an intermediate housing register when it is launched in 2026. They will be able to join a register for available homes in the borough that are for rent or sale from developers or housing associations at a cost above social rent but below market levels.
If you are on the housing register you can take part by completing the online survey at www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/intermediate-housing-priority by Thursday 22 January 2026.
For those without internet access or who need help to complete the survey, a series of in-person events will be held in January.
- Monday 5 January, The Forum, Trafalgar Road SE10 9EQ, 10am to 12 noon
- Wednesday 7 January, St Mary’s Community Centre, Eltham High Street SE9 1BJ, 10am to 12 noon
- Thursday 8 January, Glyndon Community Centre, Raglan Road SE18 7LB, 10am to 12 noon.