More than a third of people registered as in housing need across Somerset today come from South Somerset.

This fact was the focus of attention at South Somerset District Council's annual housing strategy seminar held on Wednesday 27 September. In 2005 there were 14,878 households in Somerset waiting to be housed, of those 5,531 were in South Somerset. This number is more than twice the size of both Mendip and Taunton Deane's lists.

At 110 houses, SSDC did have the highest number of homes built by any District Council in Somerset with Housing Corporation funding in 2004 – 05. This has not stopped the rising trend in housing need and today that figure has passed the 6,000 mark. The National Housing Federation has recently described the South West of England as being a Housing Time bomb and South Somerset has the highest housing waiting list of any District in the region.

During the day the council were praised for the various ways in which it is addressing homelessness in the district, with projects such as Choiced Based Lettings, the housing market needs assessment across Somerset, and the Wessex Re-investment Trust scheme well under way

"Despite all the good work that is underway, the figures are frightening, " said Cllr Ric Pallister, SSDC's Portfolio Holder for Housing, Environmental Health, and Social Inclusion. "Here in South Somerset we have a very worrying number of people in unsuitable accommodation waiting to be re-housed and many still without any roof over their heads. The schemes we are implementing are helping but the scale of the task is daunting."

"This, coupled with the fact that house prices have risen 164% in the south west since 1997 but wages have only risen by 20%, makes housing people a very tough job in this area," said Cllr Pallister.

More than 90 delegates attended the meeting held at the Haynes Motor Museum and included representatives from district councils, parish councils, landlords and many other agencies including Government representatives.

"We hold a Housing Strategy Seminar Day every year, to help identify the key issues that we need to focus on with our partner agencies across the District. It gives everyone the chance to highlight and discuss their areas of concern and to influence the way in which the District Council shapes its policies and their implementation," said Cllr Pallister. "The broad cross section of those who attend guarantees that all aspects are covered, from the needs of the Gypsy and Traveller community through to those struggling to maintain their tenancy or prevent re-possession because of debt."

Issued on 29 September 2006
http://www.southsomerset.gov.uk/index.jsp?articleid=5174