0:03 AM, 11th February 2025, About 8 hours ago
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There are more than 1.2 million individuals on social housing waiting lists and there’s an average wait time of nearly three years – but one region faces a wait of 25.75 years, research reveals.
According to insurers Alan Boswell Group, which filed Freedom of Information requests, Greater London holds the unfortunate distinction of having the most vacant council homes (8,878).
It also tops the longest average wait for social housing (6.6 years).
However, one London borough, Barking and Dagenham, reports tenant waits averaging 25.75 years, including a 67-year wait for a four-bedroom property.
Heath Alexander-Bew, a director at Alan Boswell Group, is highlighting the urgent need to address the UK’s housing crisis, and she said: “While unoccupied properties in the UK have fallen, we still have over 46,000 empty council homes and more than 1.2 million people on waiting lists.
“Vacant council homes pose risks such as property deterioration and security threats, which impact local governments’ resources and finances.”
She added: “These challenges require urgent attention but once addressed, can turn empty council properties into immediate homes for people on long waiting lists.”
The firm’s research shows that nearly one in 10 households (9%) face social housing waits of over five years and London’s housing demand outstrips supply.
There are 335,035 people on the waiting list — that’s 37.7 times more than available housing.
Bury has the highest per capita number of empty council properties (402.9 per 10,000 people), totalling 7,841.
Its waiting list has 2,756 individuals and average wait times are 1.73 years.
Aberdeen’s 2,272 vacant homes represent the second-highest rate per capita (101.3 per 10,000), with 6,694 active applications and one applicant refusing 13 offers over 17 years.
Edinburgh (1,072), Renfrewshire (1,062) and Birmingham (1,011) also have substantial numbers of vacant properties.
There has also been a dramatic 88% drop in new affordable housing starts in London (3,156) between April 2023 and March 2024, compared to the previous year (26,386), which is exacerbates the capital’s housing crisis.
Slough Borough Council has the second-longest wait time at 6.25 years, and its impending inclusion in Greater London, along with part of Berkshire, will probably make the housing shortage worse.
Aberdeen’s six-year average wait is the third longest, with intense competition for its 2,272 vacant properties among 6,694 applicants.
Brighton and Hove follow with a 5.25-year wait.
In contrast, South Derbyshire offers the shortest wait at just 94 days, followed by Stafford (4.2 months), South Tyneside (4.5 months) and North West Leicestershire (5.1 months).
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