Waiting list to rent homes in Cumbria is rocketing
Last updated 13:16, Tuesday, 30 September 2008
The number of people on waiting lists to rent a home in Cumbria is soaring.
And the credit crunch is making life harder for those who want to buy.
These are the findings of two reports from the National Housing Federation, published this week.
It says that housing association waiting lists in Allerdale have rocketed from 798 in 2003 to 2,455 last year.
The 207 per cent rise is the highest percentage increase in the country.
And in Copeland the number waiting jumped from 809 to 1,935, a rise of 139 per cent.
Sallie Bridgen, regional manager for the federation, said: “The fundamental problem is that there are more people needing housing than there is housing available.
“The problem is worse in rural areas where fewer homes [to rent] are being built, there are more second homes and more people have exercised their right to buy.
“The amount of housing for rent is going down buy but demand for it is going up.”
The National Housing Federation represents housings associations. It says too few homes to rent are being built.
Only 153 housing association or local authority homes went up in Cumbria in 2006-7.
Twenty-four were in Allerdale and 31 in Eden but there was only one in Carlisle and none in Copeland.
Meanwhile, those who want to buy are finding it more difficult to get a mortgage.
Eden and South Lakeland are the worst affected districts in Cumbria.
The average home in Eden cost £211,590 last year, 13 times the average salary of £15,902, making Eden one of the 40 least-affordable places to buy anywhere in the country.
And although house prices are falling, the National Housing Federation expects them to increase strongly from 2010.
Ms Bridgen said: “We will be an even worse situation then because developers have stopped building new homes.”
Eden Council estimates that 265 “affordable” homes need to be built each year until 2011 to meet demand.
It has 1,095 people waiting to rent a home but says some do not bother to join the waiting list because they think they have no chance of success.
Councillor Richard Turner, portfolio holder for housing, said: “The lack of affordable housing in rural areas is exacerbated by the high level of second and holiday homes.
“For example, 19 per cent of properties in Patterdale are holiday homes and 27 per cent are second homes. This means nearly half the homes are not occupied as residential.”
Its no surprise these waiting lists are rocketing, most people are being priced out of the market because of the prices for houses, I feel for all the young first time buyers who will never get a step on the property ladder, we need more affordable housing so people can get a chance, and without having to private rent or seek council houses,
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i have two tents available for rent very cheap.
Posted by leatherman on 3 October 2008 kl. 14:08