SOCIAL housing in the North-East has plummeted by 96 per cent over a decade, a new report has revealed.

Housing charity Shelter has said, in the North-East alone, the delivery of social housing has dropped from 1,413 in 2009 to only 59 in 2017, leaving around 50,000 households on the waiting list.

The charity is calling for the government to invest in a 20-year programme which would see an ambitious 3.1 million new homes built across the country.

The programme would offer social housing to those who fail to qualify under the current system, including homeless households, those living with a disability or long-term illness and those living in poor conditions.

It would also offer social housing to 'trapped renters' - young families who cannot afford to buy and "face a lifetime in expensive and insecure private renting." - and renters over the age of 55 who struggle with high housing costs beyond retirement.

Georgina and Andrew Hamari, from Middlesbrough, are both registered disabled and moved into adapted social housing after living in privately rented accommodation.

Mrs Hamari, who is registered blind, said their social home is ideally located for them and well adapted to their needs.

She said: "Our landlord in this association is really good to us. We had a serious problem when the property above us was leaking and we had a lot of damp. I had respiratory problems and Andrew had problems. They moved us into a hotel all expenses paid while they did the flat.

“I think there is a negative view of social housing because society’s view is people should be independent. I was a social worker and my husband was a security officer and we had to leave for ill-health. Our circumstances changed and that’s when we were looked on differently.

“We’ve got independence here. We’ve got the support we need to live as full and independent life as possible.”

The 20-year housebuilding programme has been proposed by 16 independent commissioners gathered by the charity, including MP Ed Milliband, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Grenfell survivor Ed Daffarn and TV architect George Clarke.

The commissioners said politicians "cannot remain idle" at a time when, the report says, private renters on low incomes spend 67% of their earnings on rent, and almost 280,000 people in England are homeless.

In response to the report Richard Beresford, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders, said: “Industry, popular opinion and economists continue to tell the Government that they must build more social homes. It’s time they listened and became the first Government in twenty years to meet very clear expectations.”

Claire Kent, planning director at Newcastle-based Barton Willmore, added: "It’s time for the Government to act and end the over reliance on the private rented sector because home ownership has become so expensive. Home ownership, rental and social housing should all have their place."