Middlesbrough faces a housing crisis with soaring demand and limited social housing options
They found out that out of 65,236 homes, only 15,154 are social rentals. Since 2009, social housing has dropped by 1%, while the population has grown by 7%.
There are 29 social housing providers, but three of them hold over 90% of the stock. Thirteen Group is the largest, with nearly 12,000 properties.
Rachel Jenkins from ACT Middlesbrough told the council that turnover for rehousing has dropped a lot. Good news is that evictions from social rentals have halved, which helps prevent homelessness.
She mentioned Awaab’s Law, which is causing delays in getting properties ready to rent. This law came after a tragic incident where a young child died due to mould in his home.
The government plans to enforce Awaab’s Law in social housing soon. This means landlords must fix issues like damp and mould quickly.
North Star, a social housing provider, shared that fewer properties are available to let. This has led to longer waiting times, but they’re working to improve it.
In 2023/24, the average wait for social housing was over a year. Interestingly, lower priority bands are waiting less time than higher priority ones.
Jenkins noted a huge demand for two and three-bedroom houses. In the last quarter, there were 227 bids for a two-bed house.
In the private sector, nearly 20% of homes are rented. Jenkins pointed out that many of these rentals are in crowded areas, making things tricky.
Rents are rising, and no-fault evictions are a big reason for homelessness. Plus, more student housing is taking away from general rentals.
Looking ahead, Jenkins said they’re focusing on using data to improve services and prevent issues before they arise.
