Recommendation 11

We asked the Department about the number of homes designated for social rent, given social rent is the most affordable for tenants; and the type of tenure most needed. We stressed the human impact that a lack of homes for social rent has. A lack of homes forces people to live in hostels or private accommodation in which they move around every few years; leading to children having to move school or travel long distances. The Department commented that it was acutely aware of housing pressures across the country and the associated impact on people, but it said that it must maximise what can be achieved from its available resources. It said that while the 2016 and 2021 programmes were very large capital investments, they alone are not sufficient to completely eliminate the housing pressures faced.28 As part of its 2021 business case, the Department modelled the economic benefits of the Programme compared to costs, by tenure and region.29 The Department told us that getting into the high 2s, 3s, 4s and 5s indicates a very strong benefit-cost ratio and an excellent use of public money.30 Compared to other housing tenures, social rent has the highest benefit cost ratio, at 3.4.31