Housing is one of Greater London's most pressing socio-economic challenges. The city faces a structural shortage of housing against high demand, leading to some of the most expensive property and rental markets in the world.
The housing stock is incredibly varied. It ranges from grand, white-stucco Georgian townhouses in Mayfair and Belgravia, to sprawling networks of Victorian and Edwardian terraced houses (row houses) in boroughs like Islington and Fulham. The skyline is increasingly punctuated by modern high-rise luxury apartment complexes, particularly along the Thames and in East London.
Much of London's population lives in suburban semi-detached homes built during the rapid expansion of the 1930s (Metroland). There is also a significant amount of social housing (council estates) built post-WWII to replace bombed areas, ranging from low-rise brick buildings to Brutalist towers like the Trellick Tower. Affordable housing remains a critical issue for local government, as middle- and low-income residents are increasingly priced out of the inner boroughs.