Number of households on waiting lists rises to highest level since 2014

Almost two-thirds (59 per cent) of households who were new to the social housing sector in 2023-24 were on the housing register for less than a year in that local authority area before they received their letting. Eight per cent of households were on the housing register for five years or more before getting a social letting in that area.

Over a third (38 per cent) of lead tenants in households in a new general needs letting were employed in 2023-24, a drop from 40 per cent in 2022-23. The remainder included tenants who were unemployed, retired, those unable to work due to illness and those not seeking work.

On average, households in a new general needs letting spent 31 per cent of their income on rent in 2023-24, the same as in the previous financial year.

Forty-four per cent of households with a new letting in 2023-24 included at least one person who had a physical or mental health condition or illness lasting or expected to last for 12 months or more. This was similar to the 42 per cent in the previous year.

Housing starts and completions

Statistics from Homes England show 15,682 new homes were started on site and 14,295 new homes completed through programmes managed by the agency in England in the six-months between 1 April and 30 September 2024.

Completions rose by 22 per cent (2,577 homes), from 11,718 in the same period in the previous year, while starts increased by 19 per cent (2,459 homes), from 13,223.

Homes England said the increase was reflective of the current stage of the five-year 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme, when starts on site begin to accelerate and completions ramp up.

In the first six months of the year, 10,434 (73 per cent) of total completions were affordable homes, a 32 per cent increase (2,505 homes) from 7,929 in the same period in 2022-23.

Of the affordable homes completed in the six months to 30 September, 3,381 were for affordable rent, up by nine per cent year on year, and 1,991 were for social rent, a rise of 63 per cent from the same period last year.

There were 5,062 completions for intermediate affordable housing schemes, including shared ownership and rent to buy, an increase of 63 per cent from the same period in 2022-23.

Furthermore, 13,073 (83 per cent) of housing starts on site were for affordable homes, an increase of 1,449 (12 per cent) from 11,624 in the same period in 2022-23.

Of the affordable homes started in the six months to 30 September, 1,098 were for affordable rent, an annual increase of four per cent, and 2,002 were for social rent, up by 148 per cent. There were 1,426 for intermediate affordable housing schemes, an increase of 22 per cent. The tenure is still to be confirmed for a further 8,547 of the affordable-home starts.

Peter Denton, chief executive of Homes England, who will step down in the new year, said the statistics showed a “strong set of half-year results” that reflect the sector’s hard work and determination to build the new homes and communities the country needs.

“We have worked closely with our partners over the past year to manage pressures on delivery and ensure they have the security and certainty to keep going,” he said.

“The mission from the government is clear, so we will continue to work extremely hard to make sure our partners have the tools to carry on with the job in hand, creating the places that people are proud to call home.”

Data on affordable housing supply

Government statistics on affordable housing supply in England for 2023-24, released last month, show there were 43,439 starts for affordable homes on site during the year, a 39 per cent annual drop.

This was also the lowest value on record for comparable years from 2016-17 onwards.

In addition, 62,289 affordable homes were delivered in England in 2023-24, a two per cent drop from the previous financial year. However, this was the second-highest number of completions since 2014-15, which was the end of the 2011-15 Affordable Homes Programme.

In addition, 9,866 of new affordable housing completions in 2023-24 were for social rent, the highest number since 2013-14.