Opposition MPs have warned of “the worst housing crisis in a generation” after it was revealed more than 20,000 people are waiting for social housing in Bradford.

Figures released yesterday by the National Housing Federation showed 20,800 people in the district are languishing on the waiting list.

But despite the high numbers, just 207 affordable homes were built across Bradford last year, meaning up to 100 people could be chasing every affordable property.

Jack Dromey, Labour’s Shadow Housing Minister, warned of a brewing crisis. He said: “Britain now has the worst housing crisis in a generation... housebuilding is down, homelessness is up, we have a mortgage market where people can’t get mortgages and rents are soaring in the private rented sector.”

However, Councillor Val Slater, Bradford Council’s executive member with responsibility for housing, said the reality may not be as bad as the figures suggest. She said the figures represent the number of people registered with the choice-based letting system operated by Incommunities – not the number of people actively bidding. This figure was around 6,100 in June last year, according to Incommunities’ figures.

She said: “Twenty thousand people have put their name down because they might want a house some time and the longer you are on the list, the better your chances can be.

“That is why we are reviewing the allocations system shortly and are hoping to begin a pilot in the Aire/Wharfe area from April with a different system which aims to better match people’s needs with the properties available.”

She said the authority had built its first council house project in Bradford for 30 years last year. Forty-five homes were built at Pavilion Gardens, West Bowling, and a second affordable housing scheme, of 50 properties, is ongoing at Beech Grove in Bradford.

“The Council is trying to help with the availability of affordable housing,” she said. “But we can’t do it on our own. We can try to make sure that developers build the right houses in the right areas at the right prices.”

Incommunities has built more than 400 new affordable homes for rent or shared ownership during the past four years and hopes to build a further 229 over the next four years.

A spokesman said: “Incommunities does not operate a housing waiting list. Our homes choice-based lettings system shows we have approximately 6,000 active bidders, ie people who have bid for an available property on the system in the last 12 months.”

The Government believes its New Homes Bonus will lead to more affordable houses being built. It rewards councils for the number of new-builds added in the course of a year. Housing Minister Grant Shapps yesterday confirmed Bradford’s allocation for 2012/13 will be £3.91 million.