Overview
The cost of private housing in Cambridge is beyond the means of many Cambridge residents. The demand for privately rented
accommodation in Cambridge is high because of the number of students in the City, the number of jobs in the City, the cost
of property and because social housing is only available to those most in need. The Environment & Planning Department has carried out surveys of the prices of property advertised for rent in the Cambridge Evening News for the months of June 1995 and 1999, and a snapshot survey from the same source for 26 April 1996. The Cambridge Housing Needs Survey included a survey of rental levels during the summer of 1997.
| Average Private Rental Levels (£) per Month for accommodation: | June 1995 Survey | 26 April 1996 Survey | July 1997 Survey | June 1999 Survey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Bedroom | 386 | 475 | 450 | 515 |
| 2 Bedrooms | 500 | 506 | 597 | 641 |
| 3 Bedrooms | 609 | 644 | 692 | 761 |
| 4 Bedrooms | 845 | 744 | 848 | 963 |
| 5 Bedrooms | 1,112 | 1,095 | - | 1,457 |
Reference has been made to the high price of housing for purchase in Cambridge compared to elsewhere in the County. Cambridge’s prices stand out most clearly when the same types of dwellings are compared. (This is because it has more flats and smaller houses than other parts of Cambridgeshire). For instance, the average price for terraced houses in Cambridge in 1999 of £121,230 was 89% higher than the County average of £64,090 and the Cambridge average for semi-detached houses of £117,370 was 62% above the County average of £72,600.
Council or housing association rented housing in Cambridge is much more affordable.
Housing Association Weekly Rents (£) March 1998
| Property Size | Housing Association Weekly Rents (£) March 1998 | City Council Weekly Rents (£) February 2000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Bedroom | 49.08 | Flat 44.37 House 45.77 |
| 2 Bedrooms | 53.74 | Flat 48.04 House 53.16 |
| 3 Bedrooms | 63.33 | Flat 50.54 House 59.40< |
| 4 Bedrooms | 73.72 | House 67.88 |
Source: Cambridge City Council
The Need for Affordable Housing
In the summer of 1997 a Housing Needs Survey was undertaken by consultants, its findings were published in March 1998.
Although the average income found in the survey was slightly higher than other similar surveys, the real problem was found to lie with the relationship between incomes, house prices and rental levels. The survey found that average household income excluding benefits by tenure varied between £26,492 for owner-occupiers with a mortgage, to £5,569 for Council tenants, £5,619 for Housing Association tenants and £17,950 for tenants of a private landlord.
The study found a total housing need of 4,817 households or 11.4% of total households, of which 2,806 needed to be re-housed within the next 12 months following the survey. It also projected that new households in housing need would emerge at the rate of 685 per year to 2006. This can be compared to a supply of affordable housing relets per year of around 860 dwellings.
2002 Housing Needs Survey
In the summer of 2002 a new Housing Needs Survey was undertaken by consultants. This confirms that there is a continuing need for the provision of affordable housing in Cambridge.
Follow the link to the left to view the Housing Needs Survey.
The survey found that average household income by tenure excluding benefits varied between £38,871 for owner-occupiers with a mortgage, to £6,667 for Council tenant, £8,045 for Housing Association tenants and £21,980 for tenants of a private landlord.
Average property prices in the 2nd quarter of 2002 in Cambridge varied between £321,949 for detached houses, £201,669 for semi-detached , £180,567 for terraced and £130,090 for flats and maisonettes.
The survey found a gross affordable housing requirement of 1,623 dwellings a year and a yearly supply of affordable dwellings (mostly relets) of 889 dwellings leaving a net affordable housing requirement of 734 dwellings.
Key Worker Housing
Housing for local workers, including nurses, teachers, emergency services and other key workers, has been put to the top of the agenda by local Cambridge Councils.
Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District Council have published the findings of their joint Study into the provision of affordable and Key worker housing in the Cambridge area, carried out by Cambridge Housing and Planning Research, which is part of Cambridge University, headed by Christine Whitehead. Click here to view the executive summary of the report.
A full copy of the report entitled: “Research Report V, Research into Key Worker and Affordable Housing in the Cambridge Area” is available to purchase for £10 from The Publications Secretary, Cambridge Housing and Planning Research, Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge, 19 Silver Street, Cambridge, CB3 9EP or alternatively a full copy can be viewed at the 2nd Floor Planning Reception, The Guildhall, Cambridge.
A new study looking at the need for Key Worker Housing across the Cambridge Sub-Region was published in 2003. This identifies actual levels of need by District across the Sub-Region. The great majority of the demand is related to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. Please see the related link to view the full report.