House building target faces 1 million shortfall

A new report by Shelter has suggested that the rise in the number of couples who choose to live apart is contributing to the housing shortage and will cause a shortfall of one million houses. The recent collapse in house building will mean at least 500,000 fewer homes being built by the government’s 2020 deadline, a target which Shelter argues already underestimates the number of new homes needed. Added to this is an increase in the projected number of one-person households - rising from 6.8 million in 2006 to 9.9 million by 2026.