Social Housing Became Less Affordable Over Past Decade

For people on the lowest incomes, social housing rent has taken up and increasing amount of earnings over the last decade. The cost of social housing (by private registered providers ) varied greatly across the country, with the highest prices- typically in London- at nearly double that of the lowest prices. The affordability of social housing in England has decreased between 2002 and 2014. On average, rent was equivalent to a larger percentage of weekly wages in 2014 than in 2002. Without taking into account benefits received, those on the lowest 10% of earnings spent the equivalent of nearly 56% of their weekly pay on social rent in 2002. By 2014, this had risen to 73% of weekly pay. In 158 out of the 348 local authorities across England and Wales in 2014, the lowest 10% of earners could expect to spend at least 75% of their wages on social housing rent. Read more on the ONS website.