It depends on your location OP.
Where I am in Berkshire, we private rent and it's crippling us, our rent on a very small cottage style home (2 very small bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs that was converted to a tiny bedroom where we literally just have DS in a loft bed as that's all that fits the entire room) is £1245 pcm, but that's actually lower than others are taking houses up now as they're going for anywhere up to £1400pcm.
We got told by our local council in 2014 that firstly, we can't go on the list as we are "adequately housed" for our family size, even though the rent was £1150 at that point. We were then told if we went through an evict where we were not responsible at all for being evicted it was anywhere up to 15 years for a property to become available as we would be looking for a three bed.
It's why we've just weathered every pisstake our landlord has thrown our way, including during Covid when he significantly increased our rent with no warning or discussion and with him aware we were screwed due to our joint industry and lockdown.
Most local authority now will push you towards private rent and will offer deposit guarantee schemes and assured rents for private landlords.
Simple fact is, no housing association properties have been built in any decent numbers anywhere despite a constant need for them and ever growing lists. It is probably longer here now post Covid as so many people's financial situations changed and many have had their landlords sell up.