Planners warn of housing shortfall

England faces a “housing time bomb” with 3.5 million extra
households needing accommodation by 2021, a report has found.

The Town and Country Planning Association study says 200,000 new
homes must be built each year to prevent demand continuing to
outstrip supply.

Falling death rates, smaller households, rising divorce rates
and immigration will all contribute to the projected increase, the
report says.

TCPA director Gideon Amos said: “Much as with the looming
pension crisis, we are facing a serious shortfall in the future
unless we act now to provide more homes for the next
generation.”

In 2004-5 more than 154,000 homes were built in England,
according to official figures.

The government has committed itself to building an additional
1.1 million homes in the South East by 2016.