Home » Uncategorised »
Local Government Association publishes housing waiting list research
This article is an external press release originally published on the Landlord News website, which has now been migrated to the Just Landlords blog.
The Local Government Association has published new research that shows one in ten households in need of housing are stuck on council waiting lists for over five years. This is due to a chronic shortage of affordable homes.
The research also shows that waiting lists could almost double next year to as many as 2.1 million households due to the winding down of COVID-related support schemes and a potential increase in homelessness.
Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, has responded to the findings in this report: “This research should be a wakeup call for the Government to face the reality that people experiencing homelessness and those at risk are paying the price for our continued failure to build the number of social homes we need.
“Behind these escalating figures are people forced to travel miles to take their children to school because they’ve had to be relocated away from their support networks, others trying to hold down a job while they move from one sofa to the next, then there are those living with the constant worry of how they will afford their rent and heat their homes when each day brings further financial pressure.
“Enough is enough. If we really want to rebuild a society and economy that works for everyone then building safe and genuinely affordable homes must be at the heart of this. Only this bold action will see us finally end homelessness for good.”
You can read the full report from the Local Government Association here: https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/building-post-pandemic-prosperity
