Help us improve housing across Adur and Worthing

Released: Wednesday, 30 October 2024

Residents are being asked for their thoughts on the plans of Adur & Worthing Councils to tackle the homelessness and housing crisis in the area.

Like much of the country, Adur and Worthing are grappling with a worsening housing situation. There is not enough social housing to meet the needs of locals, house prices and rents in the private sector are becoming more and more unaffordable for many and an increasing number of households are finding themselves being made homeless.

Besides the scale of provision, the quality of housing also remains a concern. We are doing all we can to ensure homes are safe, sustainable and of good quality - both council-owned and all privately-owned properties in the area. We are also working with partners to ensure that residents can quickly and easily get the right help when they need it.

Those points of focus are the centrepiece for a new draft five-year housing strategy that residents and organisations are being asked to have their say on.

As councils for the community, we are committed to engaging with residents, businesses and other groups so that the strategy that is put in place is the right one to create a fair, green and local future for Adur and Worthing's towns and villages.

Cllr Lee Cowen, Adur's cabinet member for housing and citizen services, said:

“Everyone deserves to live in a home that's safe, secure and of a good standard, and we're committed to making that a reality for all of our Adur Homes tenants.

“This is the opportunity for residents to tell us whether they think we're on the right track to tackle issues that are life-changing for many in our community.”

Cllr Ödül Bozkurt, Worthing's cabinet member for housing and citizen services, said:

“Too many of our residents are having to come to us for help because the soaring cost of housing locally means they cannot afford to put a roof over their own heads.

“A five-year strategy will allow us to focus not just on finding solutions to the issues but also on proactive steps that will help more people to stay in their own homes.”

Across Adur and Worthing there is a significant shortage of housing. There are around 3,000 local households on our housing waiting lists but there is nowhere near enough of the affordable accommodation the communities need. Hundreds of local families are having to be housed outside the area, away from their friends, relatives, jobs and schools, which damages their quality of life and is very expensive for us.

We are keen to hear from as many people as possible about what they think of the strategy. The consultation runs until midnight on Sunday 8th December 2024.

You can read the Draft Housing Strategy and Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Assessment, and have your say on the strategy by visiting our consultation page:

If you'd like a paper copy of the consultation, or need help to complete the questions, please email:

Our Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be reviewing the housing strategy on 7th November 2024. Residents can submit questions for the committee by midday on Monday 4th November by emailing:

press release - no photo image - A&W - grey

(PR24-076)

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Page last updated: 01 November 2024

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