The number of social homes being lost continues to outnumber those being built, and in large numbers
England has a chronic shortage of social homes, with housing groups saying that around 90,000 social rent homes are needed every year to address the huge deficit.
The lack of good quality social housing has been attributed as a major factor in fueling the UK’s housing crisis, with Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham recently calling to suspend the Right to Buy scheme, which allows council tenants to buy their council home at a discounted price.
Recent research by the New Economics Foundation found that more than one in ten council homes sold under Margaret Thatcher’s Right to Buy scheme are now owned by private landlords. The figure varied in different authorities, finding in Brighton 86% of homes sold under the scheme are now being privately rented.
More than a million households are currently waiting for social homes which has pushed many into temporary accommodation or into the private rented sector where there is an affordability crisis.
But the number of social homes being lost continues to outnumber those being built. Last year, government figures revealed there was a net loss of 12,000 social homes in England, with sales and demolitions surpassing the number of homes built. The stats showed that 22,023 social homes were either sold or demolished in 2023.
Over a 10 year period, a whopping total of 212,590 social homes were sold off, analysis by homelessness charity Crisis found. While a further 58,772 were demolished. This compares to the 93,875 that were delivered between 2012/13 and 2022/23, marking a net loss of 177,487 social homes.
Crisis Chief Executive Matt Downie said it was “disgraceful” seeing the number of social homes “continue to be decimated” and added that the “system is at breaking point”.
Housing charity Shelter has launched a new campaign called ‘Made in Social Housing’, celebrating the positive impact social homes have had on people and wider society. It is calling on the government to pledge to build at least 90,000 social homes a year for 10 years.
Hannah Davenport is news reporter at Left Foot Forward
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