Struggling families will get a boost on the property ladder as more affordable homes are to built by the Mayor of London.

But the majority of houses are being built in Labour-controlled constituencies across the capital.

Harrow Council is due to create 656 affordable homes as part of Mayor of London Boris Johnson's plans to build 50,000 homes across London.

Conservative-controlled Harrow has one of the lowest planned totals, but nearby Brent is expected to build 1,836 homes.

Leader of Harrow Labour party Bill Stephenson supported the plans, but stressed the homes needed to be built in areas that could cope with an increased population.

He said: "If you look at the rest of London, it is not a good idea to build all the social housing in just a few areas.

"Affordable housing has to be sustainable for the future and thought out carefully.

"That is why we have issues with the town centre development. We should be building in proper places like brownfield sites to make sure we have the amenities for children and adults."

There are currently 5,000 people waiting for council houses in the borough.

Councilor Barry Macleod-Cullinane (Conservative) welcomed the plans.

He said: "It always been difficult to build in Harrow as there is not much green space, but we can build more houses and help people that are struggling."

Councillor Macleod-Cullinane cited the economic climate as a growing problem for housing.

He said: "It is a challenging situation, as there are a number of private developments which have fallen through because of the credit crunch.

"Bradstowe House in Harrow town centre has been mothballed and I'm unsure when it will start up again."

The new homes, which were announced on November 20, will be built over the next three years. The £5billion package is intended to make it easier for low-income families to get on the property ladder.