Research by Clarion Housing Group predicts social tenants will be older, poorer and more disabled in the future.

The Resident of the Future report notes that more than two in five Clarion tenants have disabilities, and the figure has strongly increased in recent years. More than half of over-55s report having a disability, most commonly impaired mobility. Mental health problems have also increased significantly.

The report also finds that half of Clarion tenants are struggling financially, and again the trend is upward. One in five had gone without food, and 14% used a foodbank. Two in five had used credit or borrowed for essential items.

The report finds that urgent action is needed to reset the social and economic outlook in the UK. It calls for “help and space for people looking for work to find secure jobs, protect time for caring around work, ensuring social security provides enough income to afford essentials and expanding access to quality homes”.

Clarion is calling for a new government approach to rebuild wrap-around support for vulnerable residents – but also notes that public finances will continue to be stretched. The association plans to feed its findings into a new customer strategy to meet the immediate challenges in the coming year.

The data builds on a number of other reports on the decline in availability of social and affordable housing to rent. A Commons Library report from March 2024 noted that new lettings have been in decline, and the steepest fall has been in lettings for social rent. Construction of more social housing for rent in recent years has not offset the large decline since the early 1990s. In the last five years losses of social housing stock through sales, demolition and right to buy have averaged 26,700 a year – though this is many fewer than in the 1990s.

The report notes the competing priorities of building new homes and maintaining or upgrading existing stock. While the new government has set ambitious targets, all eyes will be on the chancellor’s spending review this spring to find out how the programme is to be delivered. And as Clarion notes, fundamental changes to support and care for residents will also be required.