With more than one million households on social housing waiting lists, every available home matters.
Yet headlines about “empty homes” often oversimplify the issue. An empty property isn’t necessarily ready to let and reducing waiting lists isn’t simply about building more homes. It’s about making better use of the homes we already have, using data more effectively and ensuring the right homes reach the right people as quickly as possible.
Following a recent discussion on Stonewater’s On the Air podcast, our Managing Director, Paul Malone, shares five opportunities that could help the sector improve outcomes for both housing providers and prospective tenants.
1. Start preparing for a relet before a property becomes void
One of the biggest opportunities lies in being more proactive.
Many housing providers already carry out annual gas safety inspections. By combining these visits with regular tenant check-ins, providers can gain valuable insight into future housing needs before a property becomes vacant.
These conversations could identify:
- Planned moves
- Rightsizing opportunities
- Changes in household circumstances
- Maintenance issues that could delay reletting
Rather than waiting until keys are handed back, repairs and larger maintenance projects could already be planned or underway, helping reduce void periods and getting homes back into use much sooner.
2. Better data leads to better housing decisions
Housing providers hold huge amounts of information, but often it’s spread across multiple systems.
When data about properties, tenants, waiting lists and repairs sits in separate platforms, it becomes harder to make informed decisions quickly.
By bringing this information together, providers can better understand:
- Where demand is growing
- Which homes are hardest to let
- Which households may benefit from rightsizing
- Future investment priorities
The goal isn’t simply collecting more data, it’s using it to anticipate demand rather than reacting to it.
3. Visibility is just as important as availability
A home can’t be allocated if the right applicant never finds it.
At MovingSoon, we regularly see specialist housing (such as Over 55s accommodation, supported housing and pet-friendly homes) reach applicants who may never have discovered them through traditional routes.
Clearer property descriptions and better categorisation can significantly improve matching. Simple details such as:
- Age restrictions
- Accessibility features
- Support services
- Pet policies
- Shared ownership availability
Allow applicants to identify suitable homes much more quickly, creating a better experience for both tenants and housing providers.
4. Technology should improve communication, not replace people
Automation often raises concerns about losing the human touch. In reality, it can strengthen it. Simple automated communications can reassure applicants that their application has been received, explain what happens next and provide updates throughout the process.
For existing tenants, regular digital check-ins and satisfaction surveys can help identify issues before they become bigger problems. Technology works best when it removes administrative barriers, giving housing teams more time to focus on the conversations that matter most.
5. We need to think beyond new-build housing
Building new affordable homes will always remain a priority. It shouldn’t be the only solution. Across the UK, there are hundreds of thousands of empty homes alongside significant amounts of underused commercial space.
Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), combined with the creative repurposing of offices, retail units and other commercial buildings, present exciting opportunities to increase housing supply more quickly. Alongside this, stronger collaboration between housing providers could help address regional mismatches between available stock and local demand.
Making better use of existing buildings could play just as important a role as constructing new ones.
A smarter housing system benefits everyone
Reducing waiting lists isn’t about one single intervention. It’s about improving every stage of the housing journey, from understanding future demand and maintaining existing homes to improving visibility and making better use of available stock.
When providers combine proactive tenancy management, better data, improved technology and wider collaboration, homes can be matched to people more quickly, void periods can be reduced and more households can access the affordable housing they need.
At MovingSoon, our mission remains simple: helping people find affordable homes more easily while supporting housing providers to connect with the right applicants. Every improvement, no matter how small, brings us one step closer to a housing system that works better for everyone.
