Tower Hamlets Council has completed the purchase of four office buildings in Canary Wharf, with plans to convert them into 180 homes for homeless families. The East London borough confirmed the acquisition of the blocks at 191, 193, 195 and 197 Marsh Wall on Wednesday, October 21. The proposed conversion will create 167 two-bedroom and 13 three-bedroom homes, according to the council.
Rising homelessness drives purchase
The move comes as the number of homeless families requiring temporary accommodation in Tower Hamlets and across London rises by 11 per cent each year. The borough currently provides temporary accommodation for 3,100 households, of which 2,700 are families, the council said.
MyLondon's Broken Homes investigation in 2025 found that Tower Hamlets Council had moved one household 34 miles away to Maidstone due to the high cost of housing in East London. The borough was among only nine London councils that housed homeless people within 50 miles of the area, while Ealing Council moved one household 278 miles away to Newcastle.
Mayor: keeping families in borough
Executive Mayor Lutfur Rahman said the conversion of the four office blocks in Canary Wharf is intended to reduce the borough's reliance on out-of-borough placements and costly hotel accommodation. "Every family deserves a safe and secure place to live close to their communities, schools and support networks," he said. "By bringing these buildings into council use, we have an opportunity to create around 180 family-sized homes and provide better accommodation for local people who need it most."
Rahman added: "This investment will help us reduce our reliance on costly nightly paid accommodation and more importantly will help more families remain in Tower Hamlets and close to their support networks."
Cabinet member: strategic use of buildings
Cllr Abu Talha Chowdhury, cabinet member for finance, assets and governance, said: "Councils across London are facing unprecedented pressures from rising homelessness and temporary accommodation costs. This proposal will allow us to make strategic use of existing buildings to provide good-quality homes for families, deliver better value for residents and strengthen the council's long-term housing response."
Chowdhury emphasised the social benefits of the plan: "Keeping homeless families in Tower Hamlets means children are close to their schools and friends, and residents are close to their workplaces, healthcare and family networks. You can't put a price on the wider social, educational and health benefits of keeping people in their communities."
The council's purchase of the Marsh Wall office blocks is part of a broader effort to address the growing demand for temporary accommodation and to reduce the financial burden of nightly paid hotel use. The conversion project is expected to provide family-sized homes that will help more residents remain within the borough, close to their established support systems.
