Council house waiting lists set to top 2m

The number of households waiting for a council house in England is set to double to more than 2m by next year, according to new figures.

A report commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA), Association of Retained Council Housing, and National Federation of ALMOs, warns the number of families waiting for a council house is set to spiral as a result of the pandemic.

According to the report, coronavirus has had a disproportionate health and financial impact on already disadvantaged groups, with the most deprived areas of England seeing mortality rates for Covid-19 double that of the least deprived, while ethnic minorities have seen their household incomes reduce by a larger percentage than those of white citizens.

It argues that social home building will enable the government’s ‘levelling-up’ agenda to target those communities in greatest need, by providing low-cost quality housing.

And the report calls for a post-pandemic building boom of 100,000 new social homes for rent each year, which would not only meet demand for affordable homes but deliver a £14.5 billion boost to the economy.

‘With the number of people on council housing waiting lists set to double, it is absolutely vital that we build more housing for social rent,’ said the LGA’s housing spokesman, Cllr David Rennard.

‘Building 100,000 social homes for rent a year would bring significant social and economic benefits, from tackling our housing crisis and reducing rising levels of homelessness to wiping millions off welfare bills and improving people’s health and wellbeing while alleviating the pressure on health and social care.’

The National Federation of ALMO’s policy director, Chloe Fletcher added: ‘We can’t stress enough the social and economic value communities get from well-managed publicly owned housing.

‘All the evidence shows that councils and those who have ALMO partners are perfectly placed to deliver the wrap-around help – with finances, debt, health support, employment and retraining – that so many will desperately need, alongside sufficient good housing, as we recover from the pandemic fall-out.’

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