Concern over the Isle of Wight Council’s affordable housing delivery surfaced at County Hall yesterday amid “challenged economic circumstances”.
Independent socialist councillor Geoff Brodie spotlighted the issue during a policy, finance and resources committee meeting, describing it as “consistently the most pressing issue” for the local authority.
Island housing has become significantly less affordable since 2002 and there has been a spike in annual private rents in recent years, according to statistics from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and the Office for National Statistics.
Council figures show new affordable housing built on the Island has declined from 23.3% of all new homes built in 2021-22 to 7.3% in 2023-24.
Around £25 million of capital spending on affordable housing, ‘subject to business case’, has been allocated in the current financial year 2025/26, County Hall’s financial monitoring information shows.
Cllr Brodie said:
“In the immortal words of our director of finance, ‘subject to business case’ – when can people without a home, without a roof, without shelter expect there to be an acceptable business case?”
The Pan and Barton representative highlighted the issue after voicing disquiet with the council’s implementation of its capital projects earlier in the meeting.
He said:
“We set a capital budget…whoever has been the administration in the past has been dead chuffed about it – it’s all bigged up in a media release but we don’t actually deliver it, do we?”
Chris Ward, director of finance at the Isle of Wight Council, said:
“To be fair, there have been a number of acceptable business cases that have come through through the year and we have pursued a good number of new affordable housing.
“I know it’s not a message that any councillor wants to hear – the economic circumstances are really really challenged – on the whole, to deliver affordable, social housing, you probably need 50 per cent subsidy.”
The council is currently facing financial pressures from adult social care and children’s services, according to a PFRC report.
Laura Gaudion, County Hall’s director of adult social care and housing needs, said:
“We’ve been able to advance a number of successful capital bids and those bids have seen us purchase the 15 properties in Godshill, seen us secure the larger size houses at Horsebridge Hill…we’ve been able to facilitate four stock transfers from registered providers to the local authority, so future proofing our provision around homeless accommodation, emergency accommodation and temporary accommodation.
“Most recently, the business case that’s moving forward is for the veterans’ accommodation.”
Recently, planning was approved to provide affordable rent accommodation for veterans on the site of a Newport car park.
We all know that affordable social housing does not exist unless they are subsidised council housing
110% spot on.
The council should buy up apartment buildings that
are currently owned by many rogue over priced landlords.
Rent them out and don’t sell them off like they did back in
the 1980s
Keep housing stock for the future generations.
Let’s get this straight any social housing that is bought up will not go to local people …we all know who will get those property’s