London, we have a problem.

If you want to know how much of a housing crisis Britain faces, it’s well worth taking the time to read this essay from the London Review of Books.  It looks at the Bedroom Tax, Thatcher’s Right to Buy policies, and the changing role of housing associations, and tells the human stories behind these shifts.  If you don’t have the time to read 13,500 words to be convinced that Britain has a housing problem, have a look at the graph above, showing how house building has plummeted while house prices have rocketed over the last ten years.

At Dot Dot Dot, though, we only have to speak to the people who apply to join us as guardians to know that there’s a problem with the housing system.  Sadly we can’t accommodate everyone who comes to us, so we’ve put together this list of alternative options for inexpensive housing in London, and sources of help and advice in navigating the system.  We hope it’s of help – please do let us know if we’ve left out anything we should have included by commenting below or emailing hello@dotdotdotproperty.com.