During 2016/17, just over 2,000 applicants on the Homefinder Somerset social housing register were housed after being offered and accepting a property.
Table 1: Accepted Offers by number of bedrooms, 2016/17
1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed | 5+ bed | All | |
Mendip District Council | 166 | 111 | 48 | 2 | 327 | |
Sedgemoor District Council | 180 | 218 | 104 | 16 | 1 | 519 |
South Somerset District Council | 236 | 226 | 88 | 8 | 1 | 559 |
Taunton Deane Borough Council | 235 | 199 | 84 | 13 | 3 | 534 |
West Somerset Council | 54 | 48 | 19 | 2 | 123 | |
Total | 871 | 802 | 343 | 41 | 5 | 2,062 |
Just over 700 of the highest need applicants (Gold Band and Emergency) were offered and accepted a property.
Table 2: Accepted Offers by Band, 2016/17
Emergency | Gold | Silver | Bronze | All | |
Mendip District Council | 3 | 85 | 212 | 27 | 327 |
Sedgemoor District Council | 10 | 130 | 263 | 116 | 519 |
South Somerset District Council | 4 | 244 | 240 | 71 | 559 |
Taunton Deane Borough Council | 2 | 198 | 199 | 135 | 534 |
West Somerset Council | 1 | 35 | 50 | 37 | 123 |
Total | 20 | 692 | 964 | 386 | 2,062 |
Although the level of acceptances indicates that the needs of Gold Band applicants for one and two bedroom properties will generally be met, the result is that the needs of both Silver and Bronze applicants for one and two bedroom properties will largely be unmet. As there are not sufficient new properties, this need has to be addressed through 'churn' (natural turnaround). However, there isn't enough churn on one and two bed properties to fulfill the needs of the Silver and Bronze applicants.
The proportion of Christians in Somerset declined from 76.7% in 2001 to 64.0% in 2011. The proportion of people who said they had no religious affiliation increased from 14.8% to 26.6% over the same period. - 2011 Census