People Fear Rising Cost Of Britain's Homes

Only 44% of people are confident that future generations will be able to afford a home in 20 years' time, according to MORI research published today (17 January).

The research shows that the current buoyancy in the housing market masks underlying concerns about the rising cost of housing for those seeking homes in the future.

The research has been published to coincide with the launch of a major new housing campaign Our homes - our future. The campaign is organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing and the National Housing Federation and seeks to ensure everyone can access a decent and affordable home.

Despite recent reports of falling house prices in the North, nearly half (45%) of northern respondents to the MORI survey doubted future generations would be able to afford a home in 20 years time. However the figures also hint at a 'North - South divide' - but in this case the advantage lies in the North, as in the south 55% lacked confidence.

The campaign points out there are still people now who lack a decent home, and house price figures demonstrate the lottery of the market. Nationally, house prices rose by over 12% last year alone. However some areas have seen the value of homes soar in price, whilst other areas remain stagnant. In the South the demand for homes far out weighs the supply , whilst in the north there is a need to regenerationerate areas and develop jobs, skills and training.

The Our homes - our future campaign is calling for a national strategy to tackle these problems. It marks the beginning of a massive consultation exercise to discover the views of the public and use them to promote the need for homes that people can afford.

Jim Coulter, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation

"The housing market is creating winners but also losers. The 'winners' are the ones lucky enough to own a home soaring in value. The unlucky ones are those who can no longer afford a home and the employers forced to increase wages to cover housing costs. It is not surprising people are losing confidence."

David Butler, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing

"Good homes are fundamental to people's prospects for health, education and employment. Clearly the market cannot deliver enough decent homes at prices people can afford. We need a strategy that provides a strong social housing sector and ensures everyone can enjoy a decent home, irrespective of which part of the UK they live in."

Technical details

MORI interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,995 adults aged 15+ throughout Great Britain. Interviews were conducted face-to-face in respondents homes, and results weighted to the national population profile. 161 sampling points were covered, and fieldwork was conducted from 5 to 8 November 1999.