Social Rented Homes for West Oxfordshire

Our campaign to build local homes for local people 

West Oxfordshire has a housing crisis. House prices are almost ten times average earnings, thousands of local households cannot afford market-rate housing, and demand for social rented homes continues to grow. The Council is taking action to deliver more social rented homes for local people and make the case for greater investment in truly affordable housing.  

The facts

1,800+

Households waiting

More than 1,800 households are currently on the housing waiting list.

2,800+

Needing truly affordable homes

Estimated households unable to afford market-rate housing for sale or rent.

70+

local households unable to afford to live locally

Households currently living in temporary accommodation.

110+

new households unable to live locally per year

Additional households expected to need affordable housing annually.

9.5x

cost of homes vs average salary

The average home costs almost ten times the average local salary.

£80,000

cost of homes above UK average

The average house price is around £80,000 higher than the national average.

Why social housing matters 

Social rented homes provide secure, genuinely affordable homes for people who would otherwise struggle to afford housing in West Oxfordshire. They help keep families together, support local jobs and services, and allow people to remain close to friends, family and support networks. 

The people most likely to need these homes include: 

• Young people looking for their first home 

• Working adults on lower incomes 

• People with disabilities 

• Single parents 

• Older residents on fixed incomes 
• People facing homelessness or housing insecurity 

The social housing challenge 

Over the last 40 years the number of homes in West Oxfordshire has nearly doubled. 

However, the number of social rented homes has fallen. 

• Around 27,000 homes in 1981 

• More than 48,000 homes in 2021 

• Social rented homes reduced from approximately 6,500 to 6,300 in the same time period

The result is a growing gap between the homes local people need and the homes available to them.  

What the Council is doing 

To solve this crisis West Oxfordshire District Council is continuing to push for more social rented homes. We are in the top 10 councils in the country for delivering ‘affordable’ homes but we know many of these homes are still too expensive given the high local prices.  

To deliver more social rented homes we are: 

• Setting ambitious social housing targets through the new Local Plan 

• Promoting more social rented homes as part of new developments 

• Working with housing associations and government partners 

• Campaigning for greater support for rural social housing 
• Progressing plans for a new social-rented housing development at Woodford Way in Witney 

Building social rented homes in the heart of Witney

Woodford Way is the only council-owned site where West Oxfordshire District Council can directly develop social rented housing itself. The Council is progressing plans for a development of around 60 homes focused on the types of homes most needed locally, particularly one and two-bedroom properties. Because the council owns the land all investment can go into social rented homes. 

The site is close to: 

• Jobs and employment opportunities 

• Shops and services 

• Healthcare facilities 

• Public transport connections 

The Council expects to submit a planning permission in 2027 that will set out the design for the scheme and how parking will be managed. It will be subject to consultation and the normal planning process.  

 

Frequently asked questions 

Social housing provides homes at rents that are significantly lower than private market rents, making them affordable for people on lower incomes or those struggling to access housing through the open market. These homes are typically owned and managed by housing associations or councils and are allocated based on housing need.  

For many people, social housing is the difference between being able to live locally and being forced to move away. It helps people stay close to their families, jobs, schools, healthcare and support networks. It can provide stability for young people starting out, families raising children, older residents on fixed incomes and people whose circumstances have changed through illness, disability, caring responsibilities, relationship breakdown or rising living costs. 

In West Oxfordshire, the need for social housing is particularly acute because local house prices are almost ten times average earnings and demand for affordable homes far exceeds supply. With more than 1,800 households on the housing waiting list and over 70 households living in temporary accommodation, social rented homes play a vital role in helping local people access a secure, affordable home.  

Put simply, social housing provides homes that local people can genuinely afford, helping them build stable lives and remain part of the communities they call home. 

Homes are allocated through established housing allocation processes based on housing need. Demand in West Oxfordshire significantly exceeds supply. We currently have over 1800 local households on our waiting list. 

Evidence shows the planning system has not delivered enough social rented homes to meet local need and very few have been built over the last two decades. We are setting higher targets in our new local plan that will require developers to deliver social rented homes on new schemes but this will be subject to individual planning applications and will take decades to deliver so we feel we need to be more proactive to tackle the immediate crisis. 

 

Council-owned land provides an opportunity to maximise the number of social rented homes delivered and ensure investment is focused on homes local people can genuinely afford. We can work with local housing providers to access national funding – bringing investment into the district to deliver the homes and low/ no cost to the local taxpayer. We are also not beholden to developers and therefore can make sure the scheme is right for our communities.