As a growing metropolis, London is in the middle of a severe housing crisis, widely evidenced in the press and featuring in political debates. The problem of creating adequate homes for a growing demand is not new. The Centre for Metropolitan History (IHR), in association with the Survey of London (English Heritage) and the Urban Laboratory (University College London), organised this two-day conference to explore issues relating to the history of urban or suburban housing from the mid-19th century to the present day. The conference sought to examine the history of housing provision in London, and how historical research may be mobilised to address the contemporary crisis.