Published 2009
An adequate supply and choice of good quality housing is vital for our economic and social wellbeing. However, in recent decades we have fallen well short of providing anywhere near the number of new homes needed. Indeed, the gap between housing demand and housing supply in England has widened, especially for affordable homes. The shortfall is now set to get much worse. With housing production at an 80-year low, the housing supply backlog is likely to approach1million by the end of 2010. This unprecedented level of under-supply has serious social and economic consequences, not least in regard to housing waiting lists and homeownership. The report assesses the impact of the housing crisis and makes recommendations on what can be done to boost the supply of new homes.