Better homes pledge

Published8th November 2017

A new strategy to build more affordable homes, improve existing homes, meet the needs of an ageing population and prevent homelessness and rough sleeping has been published by Ipswich Borough Council.

The Council’s Housing Strategy covers the next five years and seeks to address the challenges of delivering its goals in the current economic climate with a lack of available land within Ipswich for new homes.

While the Council is investing £11 million on improving its own housing stock, it is also increasing its efforts to enable the building of more homes of all types and improve homes in the private rented sector.

Preventing homelessness is a key priority. Last year, the Council helped around 600 households stay in their own homes, offering advice and assistance and working with housing providers to increase options available to those threatened with homelessness. 

Another key is to strengthen links between housing, health, economic development and other partners to ensure the Council meets the many varied needs of its residents.

Councillor Neil MacDonald, the Council’s Housing portfolio-holder, said: “Ipswich is one of the fastest growing urban centres in the East of England. We have a growing number of families and people living longer. Add increased economic growth and the result is a growing housing need. Ipswich needs more quality affordable homes, and more homes to support the needs of older residents.  The Council wants all its own homes to meet a high standard.”

You can read the full strategy here.

Facts and figures:

  • There are 60,810 properties in Ipswich. 13.2% are owned by the Council. 
  • Between 2001 and 2011 there was a 7.75% fall in home ownership and a marked rise in private renting.
  • The average house price in Ipswich in 2016 was £178,287. The average house price in England was £282,011. 
  • The number of long-term (six months-plus) empty properties in Ipswich fell by almost 49% since 2010.  Between April 2016 and March 2017 the Council helped to bring 50 long-term empty properties back into use. 
  • At the latest count there were 27 rough sleepers in Ipswich.
  • The supply of housing in Ipswich has increased by 3.49% from 2010 to 2016 but there has been an increase of 7,429 households between 2001 and 2011.
  • The 75 -84 age population in Ipswich is projected to increase by 60% from 2014-39 and the 85-plus age population in Ipswich to increase by 67%.
  • There are 39 traditional sheltered housing schemes in the town – 15 of them are owned by the Borough Council.
  • There are approximately 400 Housing Related Support Units and eight Mental Health Supported Housing Schemes in Ipswich.