More than 20,800 people on Sheffield Council’s housing register as longest wait hits 61 years

The figures were revealed in answer to a question by councillor Sophie Thornton at the latest full council meeting.

Coun Douglas Johnson, chair of the housing committee, said there were 20,848 people registered but of that less than half, 8,474, were actively bidding for available properties.

He said 60 percent of registered applicants were “just accruing waiting time” and not necessarily in urgent need.

Coun Johnson said he could not answer what the current average wait time was but the longest wait was 61 years.

This case is not the only extremely long wait. Suzanne Addams, a council tenant at Fox Hill Crescent, said she had been on the council register for 20 years waiting for a new council property but was unable to move because there was nothing suitable for her.

She was desperate to move due to black and green mould that spread “like the plague” across her carpets, walls, ceilings and belongings in recent years, making her home uninhabitable.

Last month, Ms Addams shared her story about battling with the council, her landlord, for more than a year and a half to tackle the mould.

MORE HOUSING: Social housing tenants in Sheffield could get £25,000 compensation for mould, damp and disrepair

Repairs service

The council’s housing repairs service is struggling with a backlog of 6,085 overdue jobs.

The average waiting time for a council house repair was 21.5 days in May and June. The longest wait was 786 days for a new front door.

Despite this, the council is planning to cut the service by £5 million in the coming budget due to significant financial pressure.