Building social homes at current speed will take 119 years to clear housing waiting lists

Building social homes at current speed will take 119 years to clear housing waiting lists

Shelter urges government to end unfair debt burden that stops councils delivering new homes

It would take over a century (119 years) to clear existing social housing waiting lists in England at the government’s current speed of delivering new social homes, new Shelter research shows.

Despite more than 1.3 million households being stuck on social housing waiting lists, last year only 12,198 social rent homes were delivered by councils, housing associations and private developers across England, and the year before the figure was just 10,320. This means there was an average of 110 households waiting for every social home delivered last year.

Shelter’s analysis of government figures paints a stark picture of the devastatingly low rates of delivery for new social homes. In 30% of council areas (89) fewer than ten social homes were delivered in the last two years, and in 60 of those 89 areas not a single social home was built.

The charity’s analysis also exposes the dire consequences the dwindling supply of social housing is having on rising homelessness levels. In the last 15 years, the number of social rent homes delivered per year has decreased by almost two-thirds (64% decrease), while the number of households homeless in temporary accommodation has more than doubled (155% increase).

One of the reasons social housebuilding has plunged is because councils, who used to provide the bulk of social housing, are struggling to get shovels in ground. A major barrier for councils is the stranglehold of £29bn worth of historic housing debt that was passed onto them by central government in 2012 as part of a council house financing agreement – the terms of which have been repeatedly broken by successive governments. For example, councils have been forced to sell off more homes through heavily discounted Right to Buy sales than they could afford to replace.

Shelter, along with more than 100 councils in England, argue this historic housing debt is unfair and should be removed from council balance sheets. Having to service it is paralysing councils, sucking away money that they could be using to deliver vital new social homes. The charity says getting councils building at scale again is the only way the government can fulfil its promise of a ‘council housing revolution’ and get families off waiting lists and into a secure home.

At the peak of social home delivery in 1967, 46% of all new homes built in England were for social rent and councils delivered almost all of them (97%). To end today’s housing emergency Shelter’s research shows the delivery of new social homes needs to ramp up to 90,000 a year for ten years.

Sarah Elliott, Chief Executive of Shelter, said:“If the government continues to deliver social homes at a snail’s pace, none of us alive today will live to see the end of the housing emergency. Unless the scarcity of new social homes is addressed, communities will continue to be ripped apart, and children trapped in homelessness for generations to come.

“While the number of new social homes has fallen off a cliff, homelessness has climbed to record levels with families worrying their wait for a safe and secure home will exceed their lifetime. It is absurd councils cannot build the homes we need because of a housing debt that was passed onto them by the government, which it has made almost impossible to pay off.

“The government can - and must - fulfil its promise of a council housing revolution. Removing barriers like the unfair housing debt would help councils to get shovels in the ground and build at scale again. Social rent homes are the only long-lasting solution to the housing emergency, and we need 90,000 a year for ten years.”

Laura, 41, is currently in a two-bedroom temporary accommodation flat in London with her two sons (aged seven and two) and daughter (five). They became homeless a year ago after fleeing domestic abuse. The flat has had some serious disrepair issues, including mice, sewage problems and ants. There is currently damp and mould in every room, including under her son’s mattress, and this is making the children ill. She has been bidding for a social home since 2018.

Laura said: "After fleeing domestic abuse with my children, I thought we would finally be safe. Instead, we are living in conditions that are making us ill. Our flat is plagued by mould, mice, ants, flies and even sewage issues. The damp is so severe that I spent the entire winter fearing my children would become seriously unwell. I’ve had to stop bathing them at home because yellow, mouldy water drips from the ceiling into the bath. No proper repairs have been carried out — the only mould removal has been done by me. It feels like nobody cares. “My eldest son is autistic, and this environment is having a devastating impact on him. He needs a quiet, safe space to regulate — this is not a luxury, it is essential for his wellbeing. Instead, we are all crammed into a space where he cannot escape noise. I am powerless to meet his needs. “I am a teacher, but I have had to stop working to home educate my children because our housing situation is so unstable. We are stuck in limbo, not knowing how long we will be here or where we will be sent next. That uncertainty is exhausting and deeply damaging for all of us. “I am raising three children, educating them, and trying to help them recover from the trauma of domestic abuse — all while living in unsafe, unsuitable housing. On Christmas Eve, I sat on the floor looking at the mould and cried, knowing my children deserve better than this. “Despite being homeless, fleeing violence, and caring for a disabled child, we are still stuck far down the social housing waiting list. Bidding feels pointless. There are simply not enough homes, and too many families like mine are being left behind. “A secure social home would change everything. It would give my children stability, safety, and a chance to heal. It would allow me to return to work and rebuild our lives. Social housing in this country is not working. Families like mine are being forced to live in unsafe, degrading conditions for months — even years — with no end in sight. This must be a government priority. We are not asking for luxury — we are asking for safety, dignity, and a place to call home."

ENDS