More than 10,000 households are on the waiting list for social housing in Wigan – which now has ‘one of the hottest property markets’ in the country.
The borough’s housing register, which in April had 10,365 applicants waiting for a council home, has grown by around 15 per cent compared to the year before.
Most of these applications – around 59 pc – are for one-bedroom properties.
Every council home which becomes available receives an average of 94 bids – but a total of 502 bids were received for a single property earlier this year.
It comes as house prices in the private sector have risen at one of the highest rates in the country during the pandemic, with an increase of around 12 pc.
Wigan council is now looking to purchase properties across the borough to create additional capacity quickly with £5m of reserves set aside for this.
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However, assistant director Joanne Willmott said the council needs to be careful not to behave like a ‘reckless property developer’ in the market.
She said: “We are a cash buyer so that…
