More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
by Jo Earle
Apply for affordable housing in parts of Kent in your twenties and you could still be waiting when you're 100!
That's what the National Housing Federation is saying, as Sevenoaks is revealed as the third worst area in the south east.
With an average house price of nearly £390,000, applicants there have to wait on average 90 years before enough homes have been built to clear the backlog.
The federation says rural housing waiting lists have hit a record level of 750,000 people - with too few affordable homes being built to address the problem.
Barbara Thorndick, Chief Executive of the West Kent Housing Association, said:
"The big issue is there is quite a shortage of funding that is going into affordable housing and that planning takes a long time, particularly rural development.
"It needs a concerted effort to encourage all local authorities to have up-to date assessments of housing needs of rural areas and have up- to-date action plans that are clearly there.
"In many parts of the South East our villages have become dormitories for London commuters which has pushed up prices and impacted largely on local people.
"Many villagers need small developments of affordable housing in order to keep a balanced, thriving community.
"At West Kent we have worked with local residents, parish and district councils to ensure this happens"
South East housing facts
