Thousands of Brent residents are forced to wait a decade or more for a council home due to a large waiting list and a shortage of supply.

There are currently 26,113 residents on the waiting list for a council house in the borough, nearly eight per cent of Brent’s population. Just over half of those (13,430) are looking to secure one-bedroom accommodation.

The average wait time for a one-bed home or studio apartment is 12 months, while people can expect to wait 18 months for sheltered accommodation.

However, for the 12,683 residents needing either two, three, or four-bedroom council homes, the waiting list is much longer. 

The 7,533 people currently wanting to secure a two-bedroom place are looking at a wait time of 9 years. The 4,144 people needing a three-bedroom apartment can expect to wait for 16 years, and for those 1,006 residents requiring a four-bedroom home the likely wait time is 17 years plus.

This means a single parent with two children of primary school age is unlikely to secure council housing before the kids are old enough to move out.

A total of 1,950 residents were housed by the council over the last three years, averaging 650 a year. The numbers have steadily been increasing since 475 people were allocated social housing between April 2019 and March 2020. In the following two financial years, 725 and 750 residents respectively were housed. 

The 2023-27 borough plan, which sets out the council’s priorities and ambitions for the next four years, was approved at the recent full council meeting on February 23.

As part of the plan, the council has pledged to build 1,700 council homes to improve its stock levels. Over the last four years, the new council homes development programme has built 871 properties, according to council figures. 

A spokesperson for Brent Council said: “The housing crisis is affecting families nationally, and Brent is not immune to this. Brent Council is set to receive the biggest New Homes Bonus in the country – £7.9m – for increasing the supply of homes more than any other council in the UK last year. This shows we are working as hard as can to deliver the safe and secure homes we know families desperately need.

“It is important for Brent residents to be aware of their housing options. We recognise there is higher demand for social housing due to its genuine affordability and security however social housing is just one of many options available, along with private housing and home ownership.”

Have you had a long wait trying to get council housing? Share your experiences by emailing grant.williams@reachplc.com