200,000 council houses have been lost since the Conservatives came into power

According to Official Figures, Almost 200,000 council houses have been lost since the Conservatives came into power a decade ago.

Regular readers will know that we write frequently about the nationwide shortage of affordable and council housing and how we can tackle the shortfall. And official figures have put the scale of the challenge we’re facing into perspective.

According to latest government figures, the number of homes rented from councils has dropped from 1,786,000 in 2010 to 1,592,000 by the end of 2018 – a fall of 194,000 – a number equivalent to all the homes in Bristol.

The figure is likely to be attributed in part to changes made under the Coalition Government, which drastically cut funding for council housing and diverted investment into “affordable housing”.

As reported by 24housing, with “affordable” rents set at up to 80% of market rates, this is typically much more expensive than council homes offered at social rents.

The Right To Buy scheme, which allows council house tenants to buy their homes, has also often been blamed for the loss of council homes, given that fewer than one in three of the homes sold under the scheme are currently being replaced.

Despite this, the Conservatives pledged the extension of the housing association Right to Buy pilot in their 2019 manifesto – but plans to fund the discounts through selling council homes have now been dropped, meaning it will have to be funded centrally.

Boris Johnson has also pledged to introduce a scheme to allow first-time buyers to purchase homes at a 30% discount on market prices.

Commenting on the latest council housing statistics, John Healey MP, Labour’s shadow housing secretary, who uncovered the figures said: “Ten years of the Tories has meant a disgraceful decline in the number of council homes.

“It is inexcusable that communities are losing council homes when they have never been so badly needed.

He added: “Conservative ministers are happy to see homes sold off while refusing to invest for the future.

“Britain badly needs big investment in a new generation of council homes in every area of the country if we’re to fix our housing crisis.”

A spokesperson for MHCLG said: “Since 2010 this government has delivered over 464,000 new affordable homes, including 114,000 social homes.

“In addition to this, the social housing waiting list has decreased by 40% since 2012.

“Last year we delivered more homes than any year in the last 30 years and have committed to delivering a million more in this parliament.

“We have also abolished the council borrowing cap so local authorities are able to continue to build more social homes, giving families the chance to find somewhere that is safe and secure.”

Related read: We need to build three million new social homes by 2040 according to a cross-party report.

Interested in learning more? Contact one of our structural warranty experts today to discuss your requirements on 0845 900 3969

Still Have Questions? Let’s Talk!

Get in touch with our experts today!

Receive a Quote Today

Advantage Home Construction Insurance (AHCI) provides structural defects insurance – operating nationally with offices in Warrington, London and Birmingham – offering development-related insurances and a service designed to give customers peace of mind.

Why Choose Advantage For Your Construction Insurance

Prefer to Call or email us instead?

"*" indicates required fields

Do You Need Support With Development Finance?*
Consent*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.