Affordable housing disgrace in England

The number of affordable housing starts in England has slumped, according to the official figures.

In the six-month period April to September 2011, there were just 454 housing starts for affordable housing, which includes those for social rent, low-cost home ownership or intermediate rent, according to the government quango the Homes and Community Agency. That is a 99% drop on the 35,735 starts for the six-month period October 2010 to March 2011.

There just 259 starts of housing for social rent in the latest six months — a 99% drop on the 26,330 for the previous six months.

Regional figures show that not one start was made on affordable housing in the North West, with just 12 in the combined “North East, Yorkshire and the Humber” and 17 each in the “East and South East” and “South and South West”.

www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/sites/default/files/aboutus/official-statistics-release-221111.pdf