Rental Accommodation Shortage Since COVID Has Deepened Housing Crisis According To New Report

A shortage of rental accommodation since COVID and the increasing cost-of-living has deepened the Isle of Wight’s housing crisis, a new council report shows.

Hundreds of Island households have been added to the Isle of Wight’s housing register for social homes over the last few years.

An adult social care, public health and housing needs committee paper shows 2,596 households were registered in 2024, up from 2,357 in 2021.

The report says the upward trend is due to the overall shortage of rented accommodation since Covid, the lack of new build for affordable rents and the effect of the cost-of-living crisis.

Council data also shows that at the end of 2025, 240 households were recorded as homeless or living in temporary or emergency accommodation.

Cllr Peter Spink, Empowering Islanders representative for Freshwater North and Yarmouth, said:

“Rising overheads have made it increasingly difficult for housing associations and others to provide social rent housing.

“Unless this is addressed the number of residents on the housing register will increase.

"The government has pledged funding for social rent housing; the council must ensure that it receives its fair share of this.

“It must also be more proactive in bringing forward council owned land for social housing.

"The Land Disposal Policy introduced by Empowering Islanders requires that instead of selling off land to private developers its suitability for social rent housing is assessed.”

An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said:

“The latest housing need and homelessness figures highlight the significant pressures facing the Island, much like many areas across the country.

“The council continues to work tirelessly to support residents who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and our priority remains ensuring that people have access to safe and suitable accommodation.

“We are seeing sustained demand for temporary accommodation, alongside year‑on‑year increases in the number of residents on the housing register and those presenting as rough sleeping.

“These trends reflect wider pressures in the national housing market as well as the increasingly complex needs of some of the people we are supporting.

“The report going to committee this week sets out our ongoing commitment to keeping families out of bed and breakfast accommodation.”

They added the council’s recent investment in buying temporary accommodation shows it is ‘actively reducing’ reliance on ‘expensive nightly-paid provision’ while working to secure better outcomes for Island households.

The committee is due to discuss the report this evening (February 19) at 5pm.