Housing across the borough

There are 163876 dwellings across the borough

30.3% of households in the borough rent a home. Outright ownership is the most common tenure followed by ownership with a mortgage or loan, private rent and then social rent.

There are 155,156 households across our borough. The most common household type is other followed by households with dependent children, one person aged under 65 and then one person aged 65 or over.

The current affordability ratio for a median price home is 7.29. This is lower than the English average of 8.28. The higher the affordability ratio the less affordable a home is.

Further information, including graphs and charts can be accessed via the Cheshire West and Chester State of the Borough Report via the following link:

Housing | Cheshire West and Chester Council

Social housing in Cheshire West and Chester is advertised and allocated via a Choice Based Lettings (CBL) system known as West Cheshire Homes. This is run in partnership with the Council’s key local registered providers. The Council maintains and manages the Housing Register, including who can apply for housing and determining a person’s priority.

The latest Allocations Policy was introduced in April 2021.The current policy operates a reduced banding system. Band A is awarded to those customers with the most urgent housing need and Band B is awarded to customers with a high housing need. A Housing Options Band (HOB) is awarded to those customers who are considered to have no statutory housing need; however, these customers will be sent details about alternative housing options, including home ownership and social housing properties that have not been allocated to anyone in the bidding bands A and B.

On 31 March 2024, there were 6735 applicants registered on our housing waiting list, showing the extent of local demand for social rented housing.

The below table displays the number of households registered on the housing register on 31 March 2024 by band. The largest group is the households within the HOB banding (73%),

Band A (urgent housing, medical need, or homeless) 240

Band B (high housing need, risk of homelessness, overcrowded, no access to facilities, high medical need) 1,589

Housing Options Band (no statutory housing preference 4,906

Total 6,735

During 2023/24, the Choice Based Lettings team received 5,816 applications for the housing register. There were over 1,318 properties advertised through CBL, over 38,463 bids were received, and 1043 social housing properties were let during the 12 months. Of the properties that were let only 337 were one bed properties compared to 3648 applicants on the register with a one-bedroom housing need.

In line with trends nationally, levels of all forms of homelessness have increased in Cheshire West over the last five years. There were 373 households accepted as homeless, in priority need and unintentionally homeless in 2023/24. Since 2021 the main reason for homelessness in Cheshire West and Chester is due to family or friends no longer willing or able to accommodate with the ending of an assured shorthold tenancy the second main reason for homelessness. The number of households in temporary accommodation has increased significantly since January 2019, peaking recently in January 2024, representing a 179% increase in demand over five years. Of the 226 in temporary accommodation, 178 (79%) were in hotel accommodation, generating significant cost for the council. Cheshire West and Chester’s autumn single-night snapshot of people sleeping rough was taken on 9 November 2023 and found 22 people sleeping rough, which was up by 12 people from 2022.

2023/24 housing data snapshot

The average house price in Cheshire West and Chester is £265,000

The average monthly rent in Cheshire West and Chester is £838

The average house in Cheshire West and Chester costs 7.29 times the average wage

The average weekly wage in the borough is £689.20

76% of council owned homes are EPC C or above

60.3% of homes in the borough are EPC C or above

72 residents were given grants to help them stay in their homes

21.5% of residents are aged over 65

670 affordable homes built

there are 163,876 homes in our borough

768 homelessness preventions were carried out

Annual snapshot in November found 22 individuals rough sleeping

78% of properties in serious disrepair improved within six months with council involvement

174 families in temporary accommodation

67.9% of council tenants are satisfied with their home

99.7% of council homes meet decent homes standards

To ensure we deliver decent homes and good quality housing management services to our tenants; we will use the new tenant satisfaction measures (TSM) to continuously improve the services we provide to our tenants. We will also publish the measures on our website and through our Together with Tenants Charter Annual Report provide updates, so tenants can see how we are performing against each measure - Performance - How we are doing | Cheshire West and Chester Council.