East Riding narrowly missed its affordable homes target
Thousands remain on the County Council's housing waiting lists though
The East Riding narrowly missed its affordable homes target in 2021-2 while thousands remain on the local authority’s housing waiting lists, councillors have heard.
East Riding Council’s Safer and Stronger Sub-Committee heard 331 affordable homes were built up to April 2022, the highest amount since 2017 but slightly below the 335-a-year target.
Council Housing Manager Nicola Sworowski told councillors the target was set to be met this year, with recent progress slowed by coronavirus and developers bidding down affording housing contributions.
But it comes as councillors also heard 2,534 people on the authority’s housing register are deemed to have the greatest need for new homes.
They are among the 6,061 people on the register which ranks applicants by need but councillors also heard waits have declined by around 10 per cent since 2017.
A report to the committee stated there were 836 new lettings during 2021-2.
It also stated homelessness had increased significantly since last year.
A total of 699 people presented as homeless and 693 were entitled to help up to March 2022, up from 419 and 407 respectively in 2020-1 and 629 and 611 respectively in 2019-20.
The figures up to March 2022 not taking into account the effects of the cost of living crisis and an end to the coronavirus eviction moratorium.
Requirements for private landlords to serve longer eviction notices were lifted in March 2022.
The report stated a total of eight people were found to be sleeping rough in the East Riding when a yearly snapshot was taken on a night in November.
The council has also received Government funding to try and tackle rough sleeping as part of a national aim to end it.
Eight council properties have been let to the Mind charity and are aimed at people homeless or at risk of becoming so with complex mental health needs.
A further property has been found for the same purpose and the council aims to provide three more by 2025.
The East Riding’s social housing stock is made up of around 14,000 properties.
A total of 11,463 are managed by the council and by private registered providers like housing associations.
Councillors heard the overall supply of housing had increased in the East Riding, with 1,556 homes built in 2021-2, above the 1,400-a-year target.