Affordable home completions in Cumberland fall by third

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 14 Oct, 06:05 · Archive

Affordable housing completions in Cumberland fell 36.6% to 97 homes in 2025, despite overall housing growth.

Affordable housing delivery in Cumberland has dropped by more than a third in two years. According to figures released by Cumberland Council under the Freedom of Information Act, only 97 affordable homes were completed in 2025, down from 153 in 2023 and 115 in 2024. This marks a 36.6 per cent decrease over the two-year period.

The decline comes despite a steady increase in the overall number of residential properties across the region. The total rose from 137,084 in 2023 to 139,162 by May 2026. The council also reported a drop in the number of residential planning applications approved, with 129 approved in 2023, 126 in 2024, and 80 in 2025. A further 52 had been approved by May 2026.

By May 2026, just 23 affordable homes had been completed, though that figure does not cover the full year. The council noted that its figures refer to planning applications rather than the number of individual homes approved.

How it is being reported

• Affordable home completions in Cumberland fall by more than a third in two yearsAffordable housing completions in Cumberland fell 36.6% to 97 in 2025, Cumberland Council figures show, despite overall housing growth and fewer planning approvals.Whitehaven News · 14 Oct, 05:00
• Affordable home completions in Cumberland fall by more than a third in two yearsAffordable housing completions in Cumberland fell 36.6% to 97 in 2025, Cumberland Council figures show, despite overall housing growth and fewer planning approvals.Cumberland News · 14 Oct, 05:00

In this story: Cumberland · Cumberland Council

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