Housing has a profound impact on independence, wellbeing, and safety. This Housing Research Note analyses secondary data sources to examine the relationship between disability and housing in London, including demographics, tenure, need and satisfaction, affordability, quality and accessibility, and ease to finding housing.

According to the 2021 Census, 1.16 million disabled people live in London, representing 13% of the population. Yet much of London’s housing stock is not designed to be accessible. While newer homes are more likely to meet basic accessibility standards, fully accessible properties remain scarce. Only a small share of London homes is ‘visitable,’ and fewer than 1% could be considered fully accessible. Disabled Londoners also have a narrower range of housing options than non-disabled residents. This is partly due to lower incomes and higher costs associated with disability, making much of London’s housing financially inaccessible.

Progress has been made in improving accessibility in London’s housing. However, there are still gaps in ensuring all disabled Londoners can access safe, suitable and affordable homes. Further research is needed, including, for example, the experiences of people with non-mobility impairments, how disability intersects with other personal characteristics, and the distribution of homes meeting different accessibility standards at a finer geographical scale.