Housing crisis deepens as social homes waiting list rises

A shortage of rental accommodation since Covid, and the increasing cost-of-living has deepened the Isle of Wight’s housing crisis, a new council report shows.

Hundreds of Island households have been added to the Isle of Wight’s housing register for social homes over the last few years. An adult social care, public health, and housing needs committee paper shows 2,596 households were registered in 2024, up from 2,357 in 2021.

The report says the upward trend is due to the overall shortage of rented accommodation since Covid, the lack of new build for affordable rents, and the effect of the cost-of-living crisis.

Council data also shows that at the end of 2025, 240 households were recorded as homeless or living in temporary or emergency accommodation.

Councillor Peter Spink, Empowering Islanders representative for Freshwater North & Yarmouth, said: “Rising overheads have made it increasingly difficult for housing associations and others to provide social rent housing.

“Unless this is addressed, the number of residents on the housing register will increase. The government has pledged funding for social rent housing; the council must ensure that it receives its fair share of this.

“It must also be more proactive in bringing forward council owned land for social housing; the Land Disposal Policy introduced by Empowering Islanders requires that, instead of selling off land to private developers, its suitability for social rent housing is assessed.”