June 18, 2022 8.00 am This story is over 36 months old

Council warns of very long wait for housing in Lincoln

Many people who apply will be unsuccessful
People at risk of homelessness are prioritised | Stock Photo: Adobe

People on the waiting list for council housing in Lincoln will have to be patient, the council has warned – and will often be unsuccessful.

More applications than ever are coming in, with the majority going to those who are risk of homelessness.

The City of Lincoln Council allocated 453 properties in the 2021/22 financial year.

259 of them were to people who were homeless or risked losing their home.

The Covid pandemic has fuelled a rise in the number of people needing housing, a report says, with high numbers signing up to the Housing Register.

However, it warns that rising living costs mean that demand will continue to go up, with many people missing out on council accommodation.

“Since the Covid restrictions ended, we have seen a considerable rise in the number of homelessness enquiries and presentations to the authority, along with high numbers of applicants applying to join the Housing Register,” it says.

“This, together with the general cost of living increase, will mean that affordable housing will be at a particular premium in the coming years and will result in very long, and often unsuccessful, waits for our applicants.”

There has been a change in the type of person applying recently, with more young single men asking for help. The majority were housed in one bedroom flats.

Priority is given to any household which is homeless or is threatened with homelessness.

The supply of homes for the council remains very low, with most of the properties which were allocated being flats.

The report will go before the council’s Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee next week.