£200,000 average home costs exposes failures of housing policy – The Yorkshire Post says

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer wanting NHS pay to be the defining issue of his party’s campaign before switching the focus to Tory sleaze allegations.

Yet it means significant issues where town halls do have jurisdiction, like provision of affordable housing, are overlooked – even ignored – on the one occasion where voters should be able to scrutinise local policies.

This is illustrated by new research by property giant Savills which shows that fewer than one third of electoral wards across England and Wales have an average house price below £200,000.

Potentially good news for those families who do have a foothold on the housing ladder, the size of this crisis is illustrated by the fact that property in Yorkshire is still cheaper here in comparsion to the Midlands and South.

And, given the number of people in urban and rural Yorkshire who find themselves unable to afford mortgages, or rents, this is another reminder why the housing crisis requires far greater attention at a local, regional and national level.

Not only does this revolve around the sufficient supply of low-cost housing, but ensuring new homes are built in areas with reliable public transport and property developers honouring their commitments in return for planning permission for large-scale developments. All these matters, and many more, require solid policy foundations which, sadly, still remain lacking at this present time.

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