State of Suffolk

G HOUSING

A Housing Needs Survey 2000 was completed for 5 of the Suffolk district councils (currently not including Ipswich and St Edmundsbury Borough Councils). This is the first time that the districts have used the same survey and are now able to make comparisons. It is hoped that the survey will be repeated in 4 to 5 years time with all 7 districts, and there is also the possibility of combining a housing needs survey with a house conditions survey. For further information please contact Mike Eaton, Suffolk Coastal District Council, 01394 444210 m.j.eaton@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk.

A Housing needs survey of Black and Minority Ethnic Communities in Ipswich was carried out in 1997 on behalf of Ipswich Borough Council. The principal findings included:

higher than average numbers in receipt of housing benefit,
racial harassment was prevalent and often unreported,
a high percentage of people were ignorant of council grants for improving and adapting homes and of the Shared Home Ownership schemes, and
high levels of dissatisfaction with facilities, most of which were associated with overcrowding.

The district and borough councils collect vast amounts of information regarding housing and only a snap shot is included here. The majority of information from 2 (Homelessness) to 6 (Home Improvement Grant Activity) have been taken from each districts Housing Investment Programme (HIP) 2001: Housing Strategy, Statistical Appendix.

1 Affordability

1.1 Average house prices by ward for flat/maisonette

Source: HM Land Registry

N.B. Any large peaks should probably be discounted - the figures are an average for the district so the number of sales per quarter are not high and one very expensive property can skew the figures. * The waterside development in Ipswich sold it’s executive flats very quickly reflecting in the large peak in Oct-Dec 99.

1.2 Average house prices by ward for overall

Both 1.1 and 1.2 show a steady rise in prices over the past two years.For flat/maisonettes there appears to be no marked difference in prices for the urban vs rural districts. However the overall house prices show Ipswich and Waveney (which includes Lowestoft) on average as cheaper than the more rural districts.

1.3 Average rents

This is the average of all rents, not just council housing.

1 Indicative rent levels as assessed by the Rent Service, July 2000.
2 Ipswich has no accurate data for private sector rents therefore has estimated for all sectors ie. Council, RSL and PRS.
3 Suffolk Coastal only hold information on their own properties which would not be a true reflection of the position in the district.
4 These relate only to council houses.

Source: District/Borough Councils, Housing departments

2 Homelessness - 2000/2001

In 1995-6 1008 people were accepted as homeless across the county. This number has remained fairly stable at 938 in 2000/01. Ipswich has seen a year on year increase in the number of applications.