Families waiting up to a year for council houses as applications go up

NEW PROPOSALS WILL PRIORITISE MOST IN NEED

- By LATIFA YEDROUDJ Local democracy reporter

MANSFIELD'S social housing is under increasing pressure as more people apply for homes while the pool of council properties shrinks.

The number of people applying for social housing in the district this year is rising, along with waiting times at the same time the number of available council homes is falling.

It means some families in need are now waiting up to a year for housing, with many waiting more than nine months.

Mansfield District Council figures show there were 369 more applications in the 12 months to March this year for a total of 4,728, up from 4,359 in March 2024.

The numbers are produced by Homefinder Mansfield District Council's housing register and lettings system. The online platform allows people to apply for social housing and bid for homes they are eligible for.

Applicants are placed into priority bands, based on their housing need, and homes are usually allocated to those with the highest need who've been waiting longest. Meanwhile, families in the highest priority band are experiencing longer waiting times than ever, reports show.

Families are now waiting up to a year for homes an average of 282 days. This is higher than last year, where waiting times were around 6 months an average of 202 days, reports show.