A new women-only housing block in Acton is set to provide 102 affordable flats for those ‘disproportionately affected’ by the housing crisis.
The project will involve the refurbishment of Brook House estate to deliver socially rented flats for women on Ealing Council’s waiting list, as well as those put forward by the housing site’s manager and owner: Women’s Pioneer Housing.
According to the council, nearly 8,000 households are waiting for affordable social housing in the borough, and ‘more than 600 are single women or women only households’.
Council leader Peter Mason said: ‘London’s affordable housing crisis disproportionately impacts women, who still face a gender pay gap that sees them on average earn less than men, constraining their ability to afford rent.’
Highlighting the increase in domestic abuse across the borough, with nearly 3,500 cases reported in Ealing over the last year, Mason emphasised the need for ‘specialist, women-only accommodation’ that supports survivors and provides a ‘lifeline for women who are unable to privately rent’.
The project began in February 2024 and housing developers L&Q expect construction to be finished by summer of 2026.
Tracey Downie, chief executive at Women’s Pioneer Housing, added: ‘We strongly believe that providing more good-quality, affordable homes for women is critically important, particularly during this cost-of-living and energy crisis.
‘This new building will provide a real home for many single women in dire need.’
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