Over 1,000 people are currently waiting for social housing in Watford, according to the council.
Watford Borough Council confirmed to The Watford Observer yesterday afternoon (Friday, November 10) that 1046 applications were currently on its housing register.
The local authority also revealed that 15.6 per cent of all homes in the town are social provider homes, and just 314 became available for new lettings last year (2022).
With no privately rented homes being advertised at the local housing allowance rate, the amount of affordable housing in Watford has been described as "severely inadequate" by Watford mayor Peter Taylor.
Mayor Taylor continued: "The housing emergency is a perfect storm of rising costs and rents, falling supply, and a lack of government support.
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"We need the government to take urgent action to raise the rate of housing allowance and provide councils with more funds to support individuals with extra help when they need it...
“...Long term, we need to see a substantial increase in social housing, and policies to ensure there are high quality, affordable homes available in the private rented sector.
"The human cost of homelessness is immense, and the government has a moral obligation to act.”
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