Shortage of affordable homes

The shortfall in affordable homes being built or refurbished will be growing by 48,000 a year by the turn of the millennium, the National Housing Federation claims today. Launching its Lost Homes Campaign, the NHF - which represents housing associations and trusts - warns that the problem is a "Treasury time bomb" which will have to be dealt with and paid for one day - whoever wins the general election.

Chief Executive Jim Coulter said the later that a government picked up the bill, the more it would cost. "The growing homes crisis will mean even more stress on health authorities, police forces and schools as the knock-on effects of poor and inadequate housing will hit people and communities in many ways."

The Lost Homes Campaign, National Housing Federation, 175 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8UP. Michael Streeter