Housing stock in Trafford is under ‘high pressure’ and housing remains ‘unaffordable at every level’.
According to Trafford council, these pressures have been there since before the pandemic and authorities have warned housing waiting lists are getting longer.
The District Councils Network has told of ‘a growing crisis’ in the private rented housing sector, with a sharp rise in landlords selling up or converting their properties into Airbnb’s.
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In its recent survey, 76 per cent of councils surveyed said that this had caused a rise in housing waiting lists, causing more people to lose their homes, and making it harder to find permanent accommodation for those in need.
A total of 48 per cent of these councils said they were now experiencing a significant pressure on housing services due to this.
For Trafford, things are no different.
A spokesperson for Trafford council said: “Pressure on the housing stock in Trafford continues to be high – and the principal issue remains the affordability of housing at every level. These pressures have been ongoing since before the pandemic – with little change through to the present day.
“The council continues to work with landlords to ensure that properties can be made available for tenants – and we are doing everything we can as a local authority to improve the stock of affordable housing throughout the borough.”
In recent months, there has been ‘unprecedented’ pressure on Trafford’s number of school places – with the council explaining the number of new families recently moving to the area is partly to blame.
The situation became so serious that the council reached out to the Department for Education and regional education bodies for support.
Coun Karina Carter, Trafford council’s executive member for education, said: “On national offer day we had sufficient places in Trafford. We offered 94pc first choice primary school places, 98pc second choice and 99pc third choice. We did not have a shortage of places at that time.
“Since then, unprecedented doesn’t even cover how many families we had move into area. As always we welcome these families, including from the initiative to move people in from Hong Kong. The stamp duty holiday also made Trafford a more attractive borough.”
A total of 800 families have applied for primary school places for their children since May 3, 2021.
