Whitehall has revealed that it delivered just over half the amount of affordable housing this year than it managed in 2014-15—a fact a homelessness charity has branded as ‘shocking’ and ‘unacceptable.’

According to statistics released yesterday by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), only 32,110 affordable homes were delivered in England in 2015-16–52% less than the previous year. This represents the lowest figure since the early 90s.

The affordable housing supply statistics, which cover the period from April 2015 to March 2016, showed that just 6,550 social rent homes were delivered, with 16,550 affordable rent and 9,010 affordable home ownership, shared ownership and intermediate rent.

Homelessness charity Shelter’s head of policy and public affairs, Anne Baxendale, condemned the figure as ‘shocking’ and called on the Government to ‘turn things around’ with the Autumn Statement.

‘At a time when this country is crying out for more genuinely affordable homes, these figures are not only shocking but unacceptable,’ she said.

‘With 120,000 children set to spend Christmas homeless and in temporary accommodation and a whole generation of private renters living from one paycheque to the next, the new Government needs to get a grip on this problem once and for all.

‘It is possible to turn things around, and we will be looking to next week’s Autumn Statement for a solid commitment to build homes that people on lower incomes can actually afford to rent or buy.’

The new figures were released the day after the Government announced the number of new homes had risen by 11% this year, representing the third consecutive year-on-year increase.