Families must wait 14 years for a council home in Brent, according to data

Families must wait an average of 14 years for a council home in Brent, while private rents are on the rise.

Brent is in the middle of a housing crisis with average private rents at more than £2,000 per month and families waiting years for a council home.

According to data from Brent Council, families are waiting an average of 14 years for a chance to live in social housing and there are currently 3,464 households on the housing register, equating to more than 20,000 people.

Government figures show there were 8,345 homes owned by local authorities in Brent, worth up to £689 million at the end of April last year. There are a total 2,510 two-bedroom homes in Brent owned by the council, including PFI and shared ownership. 2,476 of these two-bed properties are social rent.

Social rents are calculated by a government formula in the Rent Standard Guidance but landlords can set rents up to five per cent above this.

A one-bedroom socially let property is rented at around £430 per month compared to an average private rent that would set someone back £1,280 per month,

according to charity Trust for London.

The average rent for a private three-bed home in Brent is £2,913 per month.

Affordable rent is considered at around 80pc of this sum but the council is striving for housing to be considered truly affordable around 50-65 per cent. Cllr Eleanor Southwood, cabinet member for housing and welfare reform said: “We have an ambitious programme underway to build 1,000 new council homes in the next five years.

“We are also working closely with partners including registered social landlords and developers to deliver another 4,000 new affordable homes in the same period. “We are doing everything we can to reduce the massive housing waiting list, and provide residents with suitable housing that meets their needs.”

Reporting by young people from Capital City Academy, working with the media literacy charity The Student View.