A growing population, rising immigration, and rising incomes have increased the demand for housing in England in recent decades. But, as the Minister admitted, too few homes have been built over this period. House prices and rents in some parts of England have risen sharply. There has been a decline in homeownership over the past decade. This, coupled with the decline in the number of homes available in the social sector, means that an increasing proportion of people are now housed by private landlords. The Government’s target of one million new homes by 2020 is not based on robust analysis. To address the housing crisis at least 300,000 new homes are needed annually for the foreseeable future. One million homes by 2020 will not be enough. We must build enough homes to make housing more affordable for everyone to rent or buy. Aspirant home owners who are unable to afford a deposit pay substantial proportions of their income on rent; families on waiting lists for social housing contend with insecure tenancies and rogue landlords while spending on housing benefit has almost doubled in real terms over the last two decades.