That was the shared sentiment of councillors and the public at a full meeting of Bridport Town Council.
Bridport’s crippling housing crisis has been high on the town council’s agenda in recent months and a hot topic in the town generally, with the problem seemingly getting worse and more and more people struggling to find suitable housing.
Rental properties are hard to come by, and there is a shortage of social housing. Tackling the crisis was listed as a ‘high priority’ in the town council’s recently-agreed five-year plan.
READ: Bridport ‘suffering a housing emergency’
In 2024, the average house price in Dorset was £348,000 and the average monthly private rent in stood at £999, according to the Office of National Statistics.
The average salary in Bridport is around £25k.
Town councillors Sarah Carney, Anna Killick and Paddy Mooney put forward a cross-party motion, which was unanimously supported by fellow councillors, stating the council’s commitment to addressing the crisis.
READ: Residents share views on Bridport’s ‘housing emergency’
Councillors stated their belief that ‘every resident of the town has the right to a decent and affordable home, which is also safe, secure and energy efficient.’
The motion stated: “Based on the latest housing needs data, our priority is securing the delivery of one and two-bedroom properties, with a particular focus on providing homes for social rent for young adults – our highest priority – and larger properties for families, as these two groups are bearing the brunt of the affordability and availability crisis locally.
“We are united in tackling this issue which is vital to delivering successful outcomes for all our residents and contributing to the future economic, cultural and social success of the town.”
Councillors said they committed themselves to ‘pro-actively working with local authorities, developers, housing associations, as well as community land trusts, charities and other organisations, to reduce the number of people on the housing register and to ensure that as much additional and genuinely affordable housing is provided on appropriate, available land, with social rent housing being given the highest priority on the re-development of brownfield and other development sites in the area.”
After the meeting, council leader Ian Bark said: “Important though this commitment is, it is the first step on what will be a long journey before we see homes being built, and people moving in.
“The task before us is a daunting one, as illustrated by Dorchester Area Community Land Trust, whose eight year journey towards construction is still ongoing.
“Nevertheless, Bridport town councillors as a body are committed to doing all they can, through collaboration with others, to providing truly affordable homes for those most in need”.