A cross-party consensus is needed on tackling the country’s never-ending housing crisis

It’s a perennial problem that needs to be urgently addressed. In fact. The housing crisis has rumbled on for such a long time that people are now inured to it.

But it has a knock on effect on the wider society. Young people are unable to put down roots as it’s simply not possible for them to get onto the housing ladder. They’re putting off having families. They face the uncertainty and astronomical costs of renting.

Genuine leadership and cross-party consensus on tackling housing shortages is needed. And the Archbishop of Canterbury is right to call for an end to “short termism” in housing policy.

Justin Welby says problems with housing are “blighting the lives and futures of millions of people” and believes there’s a “moral responsibility” to change this.

The Homes for All report, setting out a new vision for England’s housing system, launched today at the House of Lords, calls on the Government to legislate for a body on housing, modelled on the Climate Change Committee which currently advises on emissions targets and reports to Parliament on progress made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The housing body would independently scrutinise and provide the technical expertise needed to transform housing and housing policy in England, the report says.

This could be the first step towards developing a consensus when it comes to housing policy in this country, which at the moment is too fragmented. As the report states, the country currently lacks a “collective national vision” on housing policy. It is simply unsustainable to carry on this way. Entire generations are being betrayed by the current approach.