For the First Time in a Generation, Housing Is at a Crisis Point

For the past thirty years, parties fighting general elections have given about as much attention to housing as they have to frogspawn. Bricks and mortar do not traditionally set pulses racing. This year it's different. For the first time in a generation, housing is at a crisis point and has the potential to decide the next occupant of Number 10. House prices have long been unaffordable for people on average incomes, and they are locked into a private rented sector that is not designed for long-term living. There are now 11million private renters in the UK - double what it was 10 years ago - and the vast majority would rather own their home. High rents in some parts of the country are stifling the wider economy, by curtailing renters' disposable income and adding extra costs for employers who are struggling to recruit. Read more on the Huffington Post website.