The latest local authority housing statistics
illustrate the continuing decline in the numbers of council
housing, revealing that councils in England owned 1.6 million
dwellings on 1 April 2017 - a decrease from the 3.67 million homes
owned on 1 April 1994 due to Right to Buy sales, large scale
voluntary transfers and demolitions.
The council housing stock in England fell from 1,612,319 on 1
April 2016 to 1,601,565 on 1 April 2017.
99.2% of the council owned stock is let at social rents with
0.8% let at affordable rents (up to 80% of market rent).
There were 1.16 million households on council housing waiting
lists on 1 April 2017 but council landlords were able to make
112,600 lettings in 2016-17 but this was nearly 8,000 less than the
120,500 lettings made in 2015-16.
The average weekly rent for council housing in England in
2016-17 was £87.20 - an average reduction of 61p per week on the
average rent of £87.81 in 2015-16. This reflects the mandatory rent
reductions imposed on councils by the Welfare Reform & Work
Act.
Councils invested £1.9billion on capital works on the council
housing stock (improvements & major repairs) in 2016-17 and the
number of local authority owned dwellings classed as "non-decent"
at 1 April 2017 was 79,600 - this represents a decrease of 6%
compared to the figure of 84,900 at 1 April 2016 and around 5% of
the total council housing stock.
Read the full statistical release