Leeds council house waiting list: New figures show those in urgent need of rehousing are facing longer waits

Figures obtained by The Yorkshire Post via Freedom of Information request show at the end of the 2013/14 period, 2,683 people in ‘Band A’ were on the waiting list for a council house in Leeds.

At the end of the 2022/23 period, that number stood at 5,280.

Applicants on Band A are deemed to require urgent rehousing, with the category encompassing homeless people and those having medical conditions exacerbated by their current residence.

The band also covers those in households deemed statutorily overcrowded and people who require rehousing due to harassment.

Despite the significant increase in demand, the number of successful applications from those on Band A has not risen along with it. 2,630 Band A applicants were successful in securing council housing in Leeds in the 2013/14 period.

Nearly a decade on, in the 2022/23 period, there were only 2,143 successful Band A applicants.

Jane Mulgrew* was pregnant and living in a home environment she describes as unsafe when she applied for a council house in Leeds. She was placed in Band A+, a category used for those deemed to be in greater need than other customers in Band A.

Despite the nature of her circumstances, it took her four years to secure a home. Speaking to The Yorkshire Post, she said: “I was pregnant at the time and I was having really bad home problems. It wasn't safe for me living at home.

“Having my daughter at home in an environment where she had to witness it a few times first-hand wasn't great. Luckily, she was under two, so hopefully doesn't remember too much of it.

"Seeing yourself in the hundreds and feeling like you're getting nowhere with it, it just felt a bit pointless half the time. I looked into private rent but I couldn't do it on my own wage.”

A Leeds City Council report published in December 2023 insisted the council is facing “unprecedented pressure on demand for social housing”. It claims the increase in demand and reduction of available properties has led to waiting times of over two years for customers in Band A.

The report also documents an increase in the use of temporary and bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless people.

Simmone Bickerdike, 34, and her family were made homeless after a job loss and had to move in with her parents. The family of five were left sharing one bedroom but still faced a wait of nearly four years for a council house.

She said: “There were five of us in one bedroom at my parents' house. It was horrific. It was fantastic [when we got a house] but because it had been such a long wait, it was overshadowed.”

Simmone had previously been in a similar situation on a council house waiting list in 2011, although was given a house within three months.

She said: “That's how much it's changed over the years. It's a big difference.”

A Leeds City Council spokesperson said: "In the last decade, as has been seen across the country, the demand for council housing has increased. The more recent national cost of living crisis also means we are seeing more people than before in need of our support.

"Leeds City Council continues to be committed to doing everything we can to help people secure appropriate accommodation, with a focus on helping those in the highest level of need as a clear priority."

*fake name to protect identity