The waiting list for social housing in three of the region's largest boroughs has now exceeded 36 months for the majority of applicants, according to figures released under a freedom of information request by this publication. For families in the highest-need bands, the average wait stands at 28 months — a figure that council officers acknowledge is likely to worsen before it improves.
The data covers the period from January 2024 to June 2026 and shows a consistent upward trend in both the number of applicants and the time between initial registration and a successful offer. One borough, which declined to be named in this report pending an internal review, has seen its waiting list grow by 34 per cent in two years.
What the council says
A spokesperson for the lead authority said the figures reflected "a national challenge that no single council can resolve in isolation." The statement acknowledged that the planning pipeline had slowed due to a combination of rising construction costs, land availability constraints, and delays in the approval of new affordable housing schemes.
Councillor David Farrow, who chairs the housing committee, told the Bulletin that the authority had submitted bids for central government funding under the Affordable Homes Programme but had not yet received confirmation of the amounts allocated. "We're doing what we can within the resources available," he said. "But the gap between need and supply is real, and it's widening."
Families caught in the middle
For those on the list, the wait is not abstract. One mother of two, who asked not to be identified, said she had been registered since October 2022 and had been told she was unlikely to receive an offer before late 2027. She is currently renting privately at a cost she describes as "unsustainable" — more than half her monthly income after tax.
Her case is not unusual. Caseworkers at a local housing charity said they were seeing increasing numbers of families in similar positions, many of whom had been forced to move between temporary accommodation multiple times while waiting for a permanent placement.
The planning pipeline
New affordable housing completions in the region fell by 18 per cent last year compared with 2023, according to figures from the Ministry of Housing. Several schemes that were approved in principle have stalled at the detailed planning stage, with developers citing viability concerns as construction costs remain elevated.
The council has indicated it plans to bring forward a new housing strategy document in the autumn, which will include revised targets for affordable completions over the next five years. Whether those targets will be met depends, in part, on decisions that will be made in Whitehall rather than in the local chamber.