New government figures have revealed a net loss of 7,723 social homes in England last year, as Right To Buy sales and demolitions continue to surpass the number of homes built. 

The figures show that 17,589 social homes were either sold or demolished last year in England, yet just 9,866 social homes were built – a net loss of 7,723 homes. 

In the past ten years, there has been a net loss of 180,067 social homes in England. 

Yet some 1.33m households in England are currently stuck on council waiting lists for a social home, an 3% increase on last year. 

Responding to the figures,Matt Downie – chief executive at the Crisis charity – says: “Homelessness is rising, yet we’re still losing more social homes than we’re building.  The lack of safe and secure housing is having untold consequences on people’s lives. Children robbed of a stable upbringing, people trapped in expensive rented accommodation that’s riddled with mould, and parents forced to spend hours on buses to get to work or school. We cannot let the housing crisis affect further generations to come. 

“The Westminster government’s commitment to build 1.5 million homes and deliver the biggest wave of social housing in a generation is the action we need. But to turn this vision into a reality we need to see 90,000 social homes built every year and funding at the forthcoming spending review to actually deliver them. In the meantime we must pull every lever available to us, including repurposing empty homes, so that people can move out of homelessness for good.”  

Campaigning charity Shelter is just as angry.

Polly Neate, chief executive, says: “As homelessness soars and over 1.3m households are stuck waiting for a social home, it is absurd that we continue to lose more social homes than we build.  Decades of chipping away at our social housing stock has left councils paying out billions to house people who are homeless and more than 160,000 children to grow up in often grotty, overcrowded temporary accommodation. 

“With private rents skyrocketing, communities are being torn apart as people and families are priced out of their local areas – forced to leave their jobs, children’s schools and support networks behind. 

“As the biggest driver of social home losses to date, the reforms to Right to Buy discounts are a critical step – but let’s be clear, alone it will not end the housing emergency. To truly clear waiting lists and end homelessness, the Government must now commit enough investment at the next Spending Review to build 90,000 social rent homes per year for 10 years.”