Housing register figures rising due to pandemic

Adur’s housing chief pledged to try to reduce the waiting list of people who qualify for social housing.

Adur District Council currently has 809 households on its housing register, 120 of which are in ‘band A’, which is for those households most in need and with ‘an urgent need to move’.

Five years ago the Council had reduced the figure from a high of 1,400 to 700 but the Covid pandemic has seen figures rise again according to latest figures.

Adur Cabinet Member on shortage of houses

Councillor Carson Albury, Adur Cabinet Member for Adur Homes and Customer Services, said the Council was determined to bring the figures down and pointed to a number of projects underway which would provide more affordable and social rented houses.

He said: “I really do understand how people on the register feel having spoken to many of them. We do need to provide decent affordable housing so that people can live in comfort and stay in the area which they love and where their relatives and friends are.

“We are making progress and while the severe shortage of housing is a national problem, which is particularly acute in the south of England, we are going to bring the figure down.”

Adur’s built/backed projects to create homes for rented sector

• Fifteen new council social rented homes at the new Cecil Norris House in Shoreham have now been allocated to those on the register.
• Construction is under way to build 49 new council homes at Albion Street, Southwick.
• Almost 40 homes are being identified as part of the Council’s small sites brownfield programme, particularly in Lancing.
• Work is also underway to deliver new sheltered houses at Ashcroft which will go to households on the Council’s register.
• The New Monks Farm development will deliver 75 affordable homes.

Council on bringing down figures on register

The Council’s old Civic Centre in Shoreham, which it sold to provide social housing, will provide 99 shared ownership properties as well as 60 social rent properties which will go to households on the Council’s housing register.

Cllr Albury said there was plenty of activity ongoing but the problem of long housing waiting lists would unlikely be completely solved by the Council alone.

He said: “I just want people to know that we are doing everything we can but it isn’t easy with tight budgets and a scarcity of land. As Cabinet member for Housing I will not rest until we start to bring this figure down.”