The number of affordable homes built in Basingstoke plummeted last year.
Borough council figures show the total constructed in the 12 months to last April fell 65 per cent short of government targets.
Now opposition councillors have hit out at the council, labelling the numbers a “joke”.
But housing chief Cllr Cathy Osselton stressed the target was exceeded by a third over three years.
According to the borough’s four-year housing plan, adopted in 2008, the council needs to deliver 300 affordable homes each year through housing associations such as Sentinel and Sovereign Kingfisher.
In 2010/11, only 104 homes were provided.
Cllr Osselton said: “Residents have told us being able to find a home that meets their needs and that they can afford is important to them. The 1,207 new affordable homes built over a three-year period exceeded this 900 target by a third.”
But both opposition Labour leader Cllr Laura James and Liberal Democrat leader Gavin James said they were worried by what they saw as a downward trend.
“They are very concerning figures – it is the worst we have had for a number of years,” said Ms James. “It is worrying when we have a trend of more and more people going on the housing register and a greater need for social housing.”
There are 5,752 people on the housing register across the borough. Up to 1,100 of these are considered to be in desperate need of housing.
Cllr Osselton said: “It would never be possible to build enough affordable housing in the borough for those who want them.
“Supporting housing associations in building new homes is only one of a range of ways that we work to address homelessness and increase choice and affordability.”
Fears are growing that grants from the Homes and Community Agency will be slashed later this year, reducing the cash given to Sentinel and Kingfisher to build in the future.
And in June this year, council planning and infrastructure chiefs voted to drastically reduce the number of homes built each year from 945 to 594 – and hope to lower it further.
In total, only 805 were put up last year, compared to 1,226 in 2009/2010.
Mr James said: “It is an absolute joke – it is a sick joke really. We do need affordable homes. We can do something about it, but they are running scared from nimbys wanting to reduce the housing target.”
But Cllr Osselton stressed that this year’s figure is back on track, with 304 affordable homes earmarked for the borough.
“What officers are looking at now is new innovative ways to provide affordable housing,” she said.
“I am not going to promise anything to the people of Basingstoke until we get our facts and figures from government into place, there is still more to come.”
