Social Housing Waiting List Hits Record 21,604 Households, as 2,447 Homes Stay Empty in Southwark

Southwark’s social housing waiting list has hit 21,604 households, the Liberal Democrats have confirmed. The figure represents 1 in 6 households in Southwark. Meanwhile, new Government statistics has shown that there are over 2,400 empty homes in the borough. 

Liberal Democrats had previously slammed the council for failing to use powers to bring empty homes back into use, and for being the authority with the most empty council homes in the country at 1,238. 

Labour’s track record of dealing with the housing crisis remains poor – with zero council home starts last year in Southwark, affordable house building collapsing across London, and brokering a “developer’s charter” that will cut the number of affordable housing developers will have to deliver. 

One Southwark family, Kelvin and Jenny Torres, have been applying for a council home since 2008 – 17 years on the waiting list without a single successful bid or meaningful update. Despite Jenny’s long-term illness, periods when all four family members were forced to share a single room, and the family completing voluntary work that earned them two voluntary stars, their applications were repeatedly rejected. Their experience, the Liberal Democrats say, is “far from unique, and a stark example of a system that simply isn’t working.” 

Jenny Torres said:

“Seventeen years we’ve been waiting, and nothing has changed. We’ve done everything asked of us – we’ve volunteered in our community, we’ve provided medical evidence, and at one point the four of us were living in one room. Still we’ve been pushed aside. It feels like the council has forgotten families like mine. We just want a stable, safe home after all these years.” 

Commenting, Southwark Liberal Democrat Group Leader Cllr Victor Chamberlain said:  

“It’s an astonishing testament to Labour’s failure to deal with our housing crisis that we’ve now tipped over 21,000 households waiting for a home they can afford. That’s 21,000 families lives put on hold living in overcrowded flats, dealing with dangerous damp and mould, or facing homelessness. 

Labour’s response has been to cut the number of affordable houses developers – who are making millions treating Southwark like a real life Monopoly game – must build. 

Liberal Democrats are fighting hard for more genuinely affordable homes so that local people can afford to stay here.”