Recent figures from the social housing regulator show that one in 12 council-owned homes in Southampton are overcrowded. That set up a very radical and urgent moment for the community. A damning inspection undertaken in November 2024 found major shortcomings in Southampton City Council’s oversight of its housing stock. This disturbing state of affairs has prompted the council to revise its housing plan. They will now be able to double the inspection frequency—something that previously only occurred once every 97 years for each home!
Southampton City Council have already begun to implement changes in response to these findings. The LTC will visit their local council homes at least every five years. The council’s first housing scrutiny meeting took place in July 2024. This meeting was just one component of their ongoing and proactive response to the regulator’s scathing report. Yet nearly half of the council’s properties fail to meet minimum government standards. This reality should alarm all of us given the deplorable state of so many residents’ homes.
The issue of overcrowding is particularly pressing. As housing charity Shelter explains, there are two legal definitions of overcrowding. Meanwhile, in Southampton, 82 one-bedroom homes are now housing three or more people under their roofs. Further, 30 of these properties are hosting four or more guests. This makes a mockery of the rules. No more than two people are allowed to live in a single room unit and those two people must be either a married couple or two persons of the same sex.
Andy Frampton, housing cabinet member at Southampton City Council was honest about the challenges. As to the lack of availability, he noted the extreme scarcity of multi-bedroom homes. He focused on the council’s pledge to tackle these concerns.
“We know that there are challenges with the number of multi-bedroom homes that are available,” – Councillor Andy Frampton.
Frampton expressed concern about the state of overcrowding in his constituency, stating, “I see in my own ward homes that are overcrowded – they break my heart…and we have a job to do to try to put those right.”
BBC South’s investigative reporting with the recent data brings home just how big a problem this is. It emphasizes the pressing need for the council to act quickly and remediatively. Southampton City Council was working on producing a new draft housing strategy. Stakeholders are anxious to see how effectively it addresses all challenges and improves quality of life for those it displaces.
