A new report from Alan Boswell Group highlights the severity of the UK’s social housing crisis, revealing:

• 1.2 million people on social housing waiting lists.
• Average wait time: Nearly 3 years, but some face decades-long delays.
• 46,000+ vacant council homes remain unoccupied.

Key Findings:

• London has the longest wait times – averaging 6.6 years.
• Barking & Dagenham has the worst case – one applicant faces a 67-year wait for a four-bedroom home.
• Slough (6.25 years) and Aberdeen (6 years) also report long delays.
• Bury has the highest rate of empty council homes per capita, with 7,841 vacant properties but a relatively short 1.73-year wait.

The Capital’s Housing Crisis:

• 88% drop in new affordable housing starts in London (2023-24 vs 2022-23).
• 335,035 people on waiting lists, 37.7 times more than available housing.
• Greater London’s expansion (including Slough and parts of Berkshire) could worsen shortages.

Stark Contrasts in Wait Times:

• Longest waits:
  • Barking & Dagenham: 25.75 years
  • Slough: 6.25 years
  • Aberdeen: 6 years
  • Brighton & Hove: 5.25 years
• Shortest waits:
  • South Derbyshire: 94 days
  • Stafford: 4.2 months
  • South Tyneside: 4.5 months
  • North West Leicestershire: 5.1 months

Expert View:

Heath Alexander-Bew, Alan Boswell Group, warns:

“With over 46,000 empty council homes and 1.2 million people on waiting lists, urgent action is needed. Addressing these inefficiencies could provide immediate housing relief.”

What’s Next?

With falling affordable housing starts, rising demand, and thousands of unoccupied council homes, the UK faces a growing housing crisis. Calls for policy reform and investment in bringing vacant properties back into use are growing.