Mid Sussex District Council urged to highlight housing need

Cllr Simon Hicks at Fairbridge Way

At tonight’s District Council’s Scrutiny Meeting I highlighted the doubling of the number of people in Mid Sussex on the waiting list for social housing since 2018, and proposed the Council include the statistic in its regular review of performance indicators. Earlier this year I had highlighted this information was not even included in the annual Housing Services Delivery Plan, and I am pleased the Council agreed to rectify this.

Buying their first house is a struggle for most people, and for an increasing number it is just not feasible, and with an expensive private rented sector, the demand for social housing can only increase. Whilst too many of the new housing being built locally is beyond the reach of local house buyers, the new Abbeville Park development at Fairbridge Way is a welcome change, being built by Placesforpeople it will provide 100% affordable housing.

The District Council rightly focuses on the homeless, and reducing the increasing numbers in temporary accommodation, but we also need the wider context of housing need to remind us that for new housing to benefit local people more affordable homes need to be built. The District Council’s Housing Team provides support for the homeless or those in housing need.

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