Ambitious 10-year Housing Strategy for Sheffield is approved

A city-wide Housing Strategy that will ensure everyone has a safe, secure and affordable place to call home has been approved.

The 10-year strategy was today (Wednesday 16^th October) approved at the Council’s Strategy & Resources Committee.

The Strategy has been created alongside the people of Sheffield. Two public consultations were held earlier this year (2024) to give people their say, and the results of those were fed into the final strategy.

Good quality homes are fundamental for enabling people to live happy, healthy lives. This strategy will help ensure everyone who lives in Sheffield has access to the type of housing they want to live in, in great neighbourhoods which are clean, green and safe places to live and visit, and to be able to afford to do so.

Over the last few years, the Council has seen unprecedented demand on Housing across the city. The demand for social housing has never been higher, and there is a shortage of both privately rented homes, as well as affordable homes to buy.

Working alongside the Council’s Local Plan, the strategy will enable the Council to increase the quantity of homes available, influence the types of homes that are delivered and ensure the quality of those homes is improved. This will be achieved by working with partners in the private, voluntary and community sectors to make this plan a reality.

The 10-year aim of the strategy aims to ensure that by 2034:

• Sheffield will have enough homes to meet the needs and aspirations of our communities and support the city to prosper
• Housing carbon emissions will have been reduced to net zero
• Residents will enjoy safe, good quality homes that are easy to keep warm or cool
• Our communities will live in neighbourhoods that are great and safe places to live, which they are happy to call home
• Everyone will have a home and the support they need to live a healthy life

This Housing Strategy will also focus on tackling housing inequalities and discrimination by enhancing the Council’s preventative measures. We want to ensure an equal experience of housing services across all areas of the city.

This includes supporting the needs of vulnerable adults and families, looked after children and care leavers.

The Council received around 800 responses to the first public consultation, and 1,100 responses to the second through survey responses, drop-in sessions and workshops. We would like to thank the people of Sheffield who came forward to help shape the strategy.

Of those respondents, 82% either strongly agreed or agreed with the strategy’s vision. This was an increase on the first phase of consultation, thanks to alterations being made on the back of public response to that.

The Strategy is for everyone who calls Sheffield home, and will shape how the Council works with local, regional and national partners to build on existing strengths of housing in the city, and to make improvements where they are needed. It will also continue the Council’s drive to eradicate homelessness in the city.

Work now begins on implementing the strategy across the city. The Council will continue to engage with residents and partners as the Strategy is delivered. 

Cllr Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council and Chair of the Strategy & Resources Committee, said:

"Good quality homes are fundamental for enabling everyone to live happy, healthy lives.

"The new 10-year Housing Strategy is a plan to ensure everyone has a safe, secure and affordable home. It will ensure we build the new homes we need, meet our climate change ambitions, create great neighbourhoods and support our work to end homelessness in the city.

Thank you to everyone who shared their views with us and helped to shape the strategy.

We will now continue to work with partners and residents to improve the quality and quantity of homes in the city, while ensuring that we are meeting the aspirations of everyone in Sheffield."