Waiting lists for social housing in England have been steadily increasing. New analysis from the National Housing Federation (NHF), Crisis and Shelter shows just how extreme the situation has become and how urgent it is to increase provision of appropriate, available homes.

The number of families on social housing waiting lists has increased by 37% since 2015, but the number of available homes has not grown enough to meet this demand. In fact, in 2024, just 8,747 new social homes were built – 75% fewer than in 2010.

The NHF, Crisis and Shelter found that, in the three local authorities with the most severe housing shortages, families who need a three or more bedroom home can wait over 100 years. Unsurprisingly, these three local authorities are all based in London, where the housing crisis is felt most deeply.

Their figures also reveal that families in a total of 32 local authorities across the whole of England can spend more than 18 years on a social housing waiting list. If a couple who are expecting a baby join the list in these areas, that baby will be an adult by the time they can access a social housing property.

For children especially, the impact is devastating. Over 164,000 children in England are homeless and living in temporary accommodation and one in six live in overcrowded homes. Low income families living in the private rented sector are spending an average of 59% of their income on housing, exacerbating the poverty these children experience.

In response to their analysis and the facts it uncovered, Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the NHF, said: “The fact that families in so many parts of the country face waiting lists for an affordable home longer than their children’s entire childhood is a national scandal. Security, stability and the space to learn and play is vital for a child’s development, yet we are allowing hundreds of thousands of children to grow up in damaging temporary homes, in cramped and poor-quality conditions and with little privacy. This is no way for a child to grow up and these children deserve better.”

To tackle unmanageable waits, councils are having to resort to stricter and stricter criteria to keep numbers down. This means that the true number of households who would be helped by social housing is likely to be far higher than we currently know.

At the end of March, the government announced grant funding of £2 billion would be provided to deliver up to 18,000 new social and affordable homes, the majority of which will be delivered in 2026/27.

Mairi MacRae, Director of Policy and Campaigns at Shelter, encourages the government to commit to long-term action, saying: “By committing to serious investment in social housing – building 90,000 social homes a year for a decade – we can end the housing emergency, save public money and give every child the foundation they need to thrive.”