UNION officials have hit out at local councils over the long lists of people waiting to be housed.
They want councils to build more home for rent.
The latest report shows that there are just under 230,000 households on registers waiting for a council or housing association home in Yorkshire and Humberside.
The picture nationally is even bleaker, with just over 1,500,000 households on this years' Local Authority Register.
The findings were presented to the GMB's Food and Leisure Section Conference held in Brighton.
The union looks after workers in the retail sector, many of whom cannot afford to own their own homes and rely on social housing.
GMB Regional Secretary Jerry Nelson said: "GMB has long argued that the only way to reduce the number of households waiting for social housing is to allow local councils to build council housing for rent.
"Workers in low paid sectors of the economy need affordable homes in their local areas."
Kirklees is by no means the worst authority. It ranks 19 on a list of the worst 21 towns and cities in the region, by length of waiting list.
The number of Kirklees householders on the Local Authority Register waiting is just under 6,800 compared to Sheffield which tops the list with just over 72,600 householders being forced to wait.
