The author outlines the decline in social housebuilding for those on lower incomes and alerts to the consequences of rising homelessness and public money spent on temporary accommodation.

Homeownership is at its lowest for thirty years; the share of income spent on housing has trebled; private renters spend 41%of their salary on rent.

As a solution to the housing crisis Shelter strongly recommends Government to committ to the delivery of new homes and to invest a sum of 10.7 billion in house building as well as to initiate a planning reform to support social house building.