“Locked Out”: The Growing Housing Crisis in Northumberland

In the heart of Northumberland’s rolling countryside and charming coastal towns, a quieter crisis is unfolding one that is leaving thousands of residents without a place to call home. From rising house prices to record-breaking homelessness, the region is facing a housing emergency that few can afford to ignore.

Homelessness Doubles, Demand Skyrockets

In just five years, the number of homeless households in Northumberland has more than doubled from 655 in 2018 to over 1,330 in 2024. It’s a staggering rise, and it’s only part of the picture.

Around 14,000 people are now on the county’s waiting list for council housing. That’s more than the entire population of towns like Berwick or Morpeth. Of those on the list, 6,000 are classified as being in “real housing need,” meaning they may be facing overcrowding, unsafe living conditions, or the threat of eviction.

And yet, housing is increasingly out of reach. The average home in Northumberland now costs over £204,000, with rents rising by 9% year-on-year well above local wage growth. For many families, especially younger or lower-income households, buying or even renting a home near where they work or grew up is no longer realistic.

Why Is This Happening?

The roots of the crisis are deep and complex:

• Not enough homes: New housing hasn’t kept pace with population growth. The council recently increased its annual target from 549 to over 1,700 new homes per year to catch up. Only because the new Government set them a new target.

• The Conservative Council: It has allowed developers to milk Northumberland without addressing the need for affordable and rented accommodation. It has mass blocks and houses boarded up and little action with them especially in places like Blyth.

• Rural pressures: In villages and coastal towns like Seahouses, Amble and Alnmouth, holiday lets and second homes dominate the market. Locals are pushed out by buyers looking for weekend getaways or Airbnb investments.

• Workforce struggles: Employers say they can’t find or keep staff because affordable housing is so scarce. Some are now subsidising rent or buying housing just to attract key workers.

• Tenancy fraud and empty homes: The council is also battling fraudulent use of social housing and trying to bring hundreds of long-term empty homes back into use but the impact is limited compared to the scale of need.

The Human Impact

Beyond the data are the real stories. Families forced to move far from their support networks. Young couples living with parents into their 30s. Key workers nurses, teachers, carers priced out of the very communities they serve.

As one resident put it:

“Hexham has been ruined by new builds locals have been priced out. There’s nothing left for us.”

What’s Being Done?

The good news is that efforts to tackle the crisis are ramping up. The Labour government have begun to address the issue with the Council.

Health and housing are being tackled together too, with new grants helping residents improve unsafe homes while addressing broader wellbeing issues.

At a national level, the government’s £39 billion Affordable Homes Programme promises to accelerate social and affordable housing across the UK, with a goal of building 1.5 million homes over the next decade. But whether that funding will reach Northumberland in a meaningful way remains to be seen.

What Needs to Happen Next?

The housing crisis in Northumberland isn’t going away without bold, long-term action. That includes:

• Supporting community-led housing in rural villages.

• Limiting the growth of holiday lets in fragile housing markets.

• Ensuring that new developments include truly affordable homes.

• Continuing to invest in public housing and services to support those at risk of homelessness.

Most of all, it requires recognition that housing isn’t just a market it’s a foundation for everything else: health, work, education, community. And right now, for far too many people in Northumberland, that foundation is crumbling.