"SHOCKING" numbers of people are facing long waits for social housing because they cannot afford to get on the property ladder in Suffolk, new figures reveal.
"SHOCKING" numbers of people are facing long waits for social housing because they cannot afford to get on the property ladder in Suffolk, new figures reveal.
There are now at least 13,000 people on waiting lists for council or housing association homes with local authorities in the county.
In the Ipswich area there are 4,454, mid Suffolk 1,500, in Babergh 1,922, St Edmundsbury 3,104, and in Waveney 2,144. Figures for Forest Heath and Suffolk Coastal district councils were not available.
Last night Louise Wilby, a rural housing expert with countryside organisation Suffolk Acre, voiced her concern and called for action.
She said: "House prices have gone up ridiculously and people have to be on quite big salaries nowadays even to get a step on the ladder.
"People are looking for affordable housing these days who would not have needed to a few years ago.
"There are also relationship breakdowns and people starting up, more single households these days.
"Some district councils are wanting developers to build more social housing as part of their planning permission (to build homes for the private sector).
"There are real problems everywhere, some villages have a lot of second homes, and that helps put the prices up. I am shocked at the level of need.''
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