Home truths

IN the years after the Second World War, the mass building of "homes for heroes" achieved the twin task of boosting the nation's housing stock and providing a much-needed boost to the economy.

Six decades on, Britain needs a new wave of housebuilding. The money is just not there, however, which is why the coalition has to consider an arcane funding system, by which the Government rewards councils which build homes.

What the deficit does not mean though is that cities like Sheffield and Bradford deserve to be among those hardest hit. These areas did not enjoy a private sector boom on the scale of that seen in other parts of Yorkshire, and will face grim long-term economic consequences if they

miss out under the new homes formula.

Ministers must ensure the system protects communities without

penalising councils which are already short of cash. Britain's financial problems and a demographic shift, with more people living on their own, mean the need for affordable housing is strong and growing.

Labour must take a share of the blame for this. In 13 years in Government, when it forced Yorkshire councils to cater for more properties, it presided over housebuilding schemes which didn't do enough to tackle the vast regional disparities.

If ever there was a social problem which required cross-party co-operation, surely it is affordable homes. Helping people to find somewhere to live should not be driven by ideology but practicalities. Attempts to tackle the housebuilding crisis will provide a test of whether today's generation really offers a "new" politics.