Just 1 in 10 households on the Isle of Wight live in ‘genuinely affordable’ social rent housing, according to the latest data.
Figures show Island housing has become markedly less affordable since 2002.
Less than half of Isle of Wight households own their home outright and over a fifth of households are in the private rental sector.
There has also been a spike in annual private rents in recent years.
The statistics from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the extent of the Island’s housing crisis amid efforts by County Hall to address the problem.
Last month, county councillors voted to agree and adopt a Land and Property Asset Disposal Policy – a framework to ensure council land and property assets are used to prioritise the delivery of social housing wherever possible.
Housing charity Shelter defines social rent homes as ‘genuinely affordable’ and provided by either not-for-profit housing associations or the local council.
JSNA findings show the housing affordability ratio, which compares house prices with median incomes, has increased by 58.3% between 2002 and 2023 – the higher it is the less affordable housing has become.
The Island’s ratio was 9.5 in 2023, the latest data year, compared to 8.3 for England as a whole.
Meanwhile, ONS figures show Isle of Wight annual private rent increases have spiked between January 2016 and June this year.
Yearly private rental price inflation was 0.8% in January 2016 and 7% in June 2025.
Get rid of the invaders that aren’t born here and voila. Plenty of houses
Another r acist comment from a Brexit Reformer.
I say move over to the island many persons arriving
on our shores from war torn countries.
The Isle of Wight is not doing their bit, the rest
of the country is participating.
What gives people the right to think because a person
is not born in such a country or location they do not have the
right to live there!
AN UNEDUCATED NUMPTY IS THE ANSWER
Mostly these so called Asylum Seekers are really economic migrants, coming across the Channel from safe countries like France, Belgium and Germany. Their home countries can’t be so unsafe in that they couldn’t leave their families behind to fend for themselves.
Really they are chancers, attracted by our lax laws and a regime which offers unearned rewards, such as accommodation, spending money, free health care and so on.
No they are not. Clear and simple, you are completely wrong, and there are plenty of evidential stats to prove it. There’s also the through country’s politics and laws to consider, which we cannot change. IF you bothered to educate yourself you’d know; instead, you just appear stupid.
There’s even more statistics to show what you’re saying is dribble, you do realise that these that come over here on them boats, all young fit fighting age men, hardly any women and children, do not accept, appreciate or care for your life one little bit, they would delete you in a heartbeat of it meant them being closer to their Mohammed, maybe you should do some proper research into what we are letting into our country.
What planet do you live on. War torn ha they are of fighting age and left their family’s behind
They are wimps
Another remoaner that still cannot get over the fact that you lost – get a life
It’s literally written in the law, and it’s also in the name…illegal. People like you are the biggest problem, complain that we should be doing our part whilst you do nothing yourself, would you take am illegal into your home? Around your children? Someone who back in their own country think it’s ok to rape children and women!? People like you genuinely make me sick, they come here and take all of our resources from our own people that need it, you’re probably the sort of person to look down your nose at a homeless person on the street yet want to help Mohammed come here and commit more crimes like they already have back home. You seriously need to open your eyes to what’s going on before it’s too late because I guarantee we’re the people you’ll be asking for help when it finally comes knocking at your door, and then it will be our choice of we want to help you or not, someone who was against they’re own people to start with!
Oh do be quiet
…..that those kids who are born here CAN’T AFFORD.
Be honest, how many immigrants live near you, let alone assylum seekers. The Island used to have a healthy stock of local authority properties which were well built and well maintained and for which people paid realistic rents. All those properties have not been occuied by immigrants (who traditionally buy property as soon as they can rather than rent). The stock was depleted by right to buy. Lots of people bought their council houses and many subsequently sold them for large profits to people who now rent them out as private rentals. Many of them are not well maintained and the rents are sky high as demand outstrips supply. So the answer lies closer to home. The solution must lie in making more homes available at reasonable rents which requires new homes to be built to replenish the social housing stock – the problem is that no one wants them built near them.
The council should build houses and rent them.
that all went wrong when Magi introduced “the right to buy”, so the council lost its housing stock, lots of those who bought them cheap sold them for a profit because the dollar signs flashed before their eyes when they realised the true value of the cheap houses they were able to buy.
Now there is less to rent, the council have no incentive to build because they will have to sell to those that live in the rented houses after a few years. The law should change so the council can keep their housing stock. The change would then enable the council to re instate their own building crew. If this happened it would also stop extortionate building costs, like the new toilets etc at the Ryde swimming pool for the unbelievable cost of £300,000.
You are spot on, private landlords are the problem.
“They are greedy”
You have no idea what you are talking about
Spot on.
Totally agree with your comment about housing stock and right to buy at huge discount, but knocking the £300,000 for Waterside! How is it unbelievable? A well used public facility renovated, PV panels, changing rooms gutted, new floor drainage, new heating and hot water system, showers, toilets etc. Materials are expensive, tradesman come at a cost.
What happens when the mainland evict the islanders?
Get rid of anyone not born or at least 3rd generation islander to many people move over there thats the problem!
Could we have that in English please?
Has any of your family moved to the mainland and will they be deported too? Shades of Donald Trump…
There will be no one left on the island.
Lol
Majority of persons I know come from the mainland,
many have had children on the island, but their parents
roots are from the mainland.
And what will you do to replace lost income? Much of your NHS is run by incomers & local businesses are supported by overners with cash to spend. Tourists aren’t coming in big numbers any more, so money is shrinking there, or maybe you’d ban them too
If you want a stable society housing is the rock on which it is built these housing developments that promises to provide affordable housing is a sprat to catch a Mackrell