Only 22 new social rent homes have been built since 2021. The much-needed low rent homes are managed by housing associations on behalf of Mole Valley District Council, but the council has been failing residents for years.
The number of affordable homes rented to residents in Mole Valley fell to an all-time low in the last ten years, with 222 offered in 2023/24, down a third from 10 years ago. This is in the context of a rising housing register with numbers going up from just under 500 in 2018/19 to over 600 in January 2024 under the Liberal Democrat administration.
The shortfall of over 350 affordable homes in Mole Valley means that families are having to stay longer in temporary accommodation and bed and breakfast facilities waiting for a permanent home – at high cost to the taxpayer and detrimental to the residents. This is a crisis that the Liberal Democrats have failed to get a grip on.
And families who do have a social home in Mole Valley have found themselves living with mould, anti-social behaviour, and decrepit conditions. One family told us that mould was growing in their bathroom, and was so rife that a tile fell into the bath, which could have seriously injured their young son. Another family has told us that due to bins in their block not being collected, they have had a cockroach infestation which their housing association is refusing to deal with. Another tenant of Mole Valley's social housing has said to us about how their neighbours have been making their life miserable by smoking cannabis in the communal areas and playing loud music until 3am most nights.
Taylor O'Driscoll, Conservative County Council candidate for Dorking Hills says, "I grew up in social housing, so know what it's like. I am deeply concerned about Mole Valley's social housing crisis and the conditions residents are living in. The fear of developing breathing difficulties or losing a loved one because of mould is something no one should ever have to suffer and it's sad that there are children and families in Mole Valley who are having this fear every day like I did growing up. The Liberal Democrats running Mole Valley need to get a grip on this crisis, hold the housing associations to account and appoint a dedicated Cabinet Member for Housing who is directly accountable for improving the housing stock."
Marisa Heath, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesperson for Dorking & Horley says, "We are seeing an ageing population and a reduction in key workers as families cannot afford to live in the area. Social housing is a key priority in ensuring we have people living in Mole Valley who are able to take on roles as social workers, carers and NHS staff, let alone other important roles in our community. The Liberal Democrats' serious failure to provide social housing is now having a huge impact on all of us and shows yet again that despite all the talk on their endless leaflets going through doors, the Lib Dems are incapable of delivering what is actually needed."
