Almost 150 social homes lost in Mid Sussex over past decade

Almost 150 social homes have been lost in Mid Sussex over the past decade, new figures show.

The figures come as housing charity Shelter urges the Government to invest in a new generation of "genuinely social housing".

Data from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities show 130 social homes were built in Mid Sussex in the ten years to March 2022 – including 44 in the latest year.

Meanwhile, 109 social homes were sold and 162 demolished over the same period – meaning that the area has lost 141 homes over the past ten years.

Across England, 194,000 social homes were sold in the decade to March 2022, and 55,000 demolished.

Just 84,000 were built over the same period – resulting in a net loss of 165,000 social homes.

These figures do not include sales for low-cost homeownership.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said the country is "firmly in the red" when it comes to its social housing stock.

“We lose far more homes than we build every year, and the losses are mounting up,” she said.

“The social housing deficit is at the heart of the housing emergency,