Fewer affordable homes to rent in South Lakeland were created last year compared to the previous year despite almost a £1 million in extra funding being made available to the council for affordable housing.
According to figures released by South Lakeland District Council under Freedom of Information, 65 new low-cost rent homes were created in 2018/19 compared to 85 in 2017/18.
The Liberal Democrat-controlled local authority pledged in 2018 to create 650 extra affordable homes to rent by 2025 and has received extra Government cash to boost social housing in the district.
In 2017/18 the council received £5.1 million in receipts from Right to Buy council homes and the Government’s Community Housing Fund. Last year (2018/19), the amount the council received rose to £6 million, but fewer affordable homes to rent were created in the District.
Councillor Tom Harvey, the Conservative Group leader on South Lakeland District Council, said: “Creating more affordable homes to rent is vitally important in South Lakeland and it’s disappointing that, despite receiving almost £1 million in extra funding, the council has created fewer low-cost homes to rent over the last twelve months.
“If the council is going to hit its target of 650 more homes to rent by 2025 it needs to pick up the pace.”