The country's housing shortage is fast approaching one million homes, yet we are building less now than at any point since the Second World War.
The stark statistic is revealed in the Home Builders Federation (HBF's) election manifesto and is a warning to MPs that they desperately need to wake up to the mounting housing crisis.
Housing issues are now affecting every UK constituency and the social and economic impacts of an acute housing shortage become ever more apparent:
* Nearly 5m people on housing waiting lists and 1.6m children living in overcrowded, temporary or run-down housing;
* Young people unable to buy a home and delaying starting a family;
* Hundreds of thousands made redundant by the slow down;
* On average a home built today would have to last for over 1100 years because we are not building enough to replace it sooner.
The manifesto outlines the steps that urgently need taking to increase supply;
* Make more land available for development;
* Address the chronic lack of mortgage availability;
* Reduce the crippling costs of central/local Government regulation that prevent many sites being built;
* Maintain public funding to support housing delivery and the jobs it creates.
HBF Executive Chairman Stewart Baseley said: "We have a desperate and growing housing crisis that just has to be addressed. But despite the shortfall of homes fast approaching a million, we are building less than at any time since the Second World War. The social and economic implications dictate that the new Parliament's MPs must address the barriers to delivery as a matter of urgency."
* Increasing housing delivery will benefit every area of the country, and;
* Create hundreds of thousands of jobs;
* Provide enough homes for our population;
* Remove millions from poor quality living conditions;
* Stimulate the economy. Every £1 spent generates nearly £3 in economic activity.
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