The amount of severely overcrowded housing in London has risen by almost half since 1991.
The Association of London Government’s unpublished analysis of the 2001 census shows that the number of households with more than one-and-a-half people per room – the census definition of severe overcrowding – has risen from 38,000 in 1991 to 61,000.

Tony Newman, chair of housing for the ALG, said: “The proportion of new social rented housing with three or more bedrooms needs to be doubled if we are to target need accurately.”

The news comes as housing minister Keith Hill faces mounting pressure to insert a clause in the housing bill – set to reach its report stage next week – to update the 1935 standard that measures overcrowding.