How long will I wait for a home?
We manage the Lichfield District Homes Register in partnership with housing associations across the district. The register lets eligible local people bid on social housing in the district. Because there is limited social housing in the district, housing is allocated to residents in the greatest housing need.
We’ve put this snapshot together to help anyone looking for a social rented home in the district (whether you are a new applicant or want to move between social rented homes) to understand what to expect.
The figures in this snapshot are based on 2023/2024 figures. An updated report on 2024/2025’s figures will be released in late 2025.
How many joined the register?
Of the 1,227 people who applied, 687 were eligible to join the housing register to find a new home for them or their family.
How many homes were advertised on the register?
435 homes were advertised. Of these, 377 homes were let within the year. Homes that were not let didn’t meet people’s needs – for example not enough bedrooms or not the right area.
Who were offered properties (based on their priority band)?
Every applicant on our register is given a priority band based on their circumstances. Their banding affects how their bids are shortlisted, and their chance of being offered a property. You can be placed in one of three bands – emergency, band 1 or band 2 – find out more.
A third of properties advertised were let to residents in the emergency band, over half (64%) were let to residents in priority band 1, and the remainder (6%) to residents in priority band 2.
How many bedrooms did properties have?
Most properties that we let had either one bedroom (40%) or two bedrooms (40%).
Only 72 (19%) properties had three bedrooms, and just 4 (1%) had four bedrooms.
How many people are currently waiting for a new home on the register?
530 people* are currently waiting for a new home. 218 people need a one-bedroom property, 109 need a two-bedroom property, 135 need a three-bedroom property and 68 need four or more bedrooms.
*These figures are just a snapshot in time and change every day but give a good idea of who is on the register at any one time.
How long do people tend to wait?
Waiting times vary considerably (between 103 and 370 days) and depend on your priority band, how many bedrooms you need, and what areas you are happy to live in. People who need two-bedroom properties (regardless of their banding) wait the shortest time (110 days), and those in the emergency band also have a shorter wait (110 days). Anyone looking for a four-bedroom property could wait more than a year for a property, depending on their priority band.
Based on priority band or bedroom need alone, the average wait times last year were:
|
Average wait times by priority band |
|
|
Emergency |
110 days |
|
Band 1 |
201 days |
|
Band 2 |
195 days |
|
Average wait times by bedroom need |
|
|
One bedroom |
160 days |
|
Two bedrooms |
110 days |
|
Three bedrooms |
308 days |
|
Four or more bedrooms |
256 days |
Based on priority band and bedroom need, the average waiting times last year were:
|
Average wait times by bedroom need and priority band* |
|
| Emergency band, one bedroom | 141 days |
| Emegency band, two bedrooms | 125 days |
| Emergency band, three bedrooms | 182 days |
| Emergency band, four bedrooms | 256 days |
| Band 1, one bedroom | 161 days |
| Band 1, two bedrooms | 103 days |
| Band 1, three bedrooms | 370 days |
| Band 2, one bedroom | 230 days |
| Band 2, two bedrooms | 140 days |
*No data is available for band 2, 3 bedrooms, or bands 1& 2, 4 bedrooms.
Where were most properties advertised?
Most properties were let in St John's in Lichfield, Alrewas & Fradley and Stowe in Lichfield - (download street maps).
|
Properties advertised in each area |
1 bedroom |
2 bedrooms |
3 bedrooms |
4 or more bedrooms |
|
Whittington & Streethay |
11 |
28 |
7 |
0 |
|
Alrewas & Fradley |
12 |
13 |
6 |
1 |
|
Stowe, Lichfield City |
15 |
6 |
9 |
1 |
To view a map of where social rented properties are located visit www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/districthomesmap
Where did most people want to live?
Most people waiting on the register would prefer to live in Chase Terrace, Boley Park or Curborough. Very few properties were available in these areas. The table below shows the number of people waiting for different types of properties in each of these areas.
|
People waiting in each area |
1 bedroom |
2 bedrooms |
3 bedrooms |
4 or more bedrooms |
|
Boley Park |
32 |
15 |
15 |
5 |
|
Curborough |
19 |
8 |
17 |
12 |
|
Chasetown |
19 |
11 |
17 |
4 |
To view a map of where social rented properties are located visit www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/districthomesmap
Have any new social rented properties been built?
190 new build properties were created for social rent. New properties continue to be built, but the number of new build social rented properties are expected to drop in coming years.
More information
We hope you have found this shapshot useful. To find out more download our 2024 what to expect factsheet.
The figures in the factsheet are based on 2023/2024 figures. An updated report on 2024/2025’s figures will be released in late 2025.