Home ownership dream shattered for first time buyers

Buying a home has become a pipe dream for millions of young Britons – with half believing they will have to wait up to a decade or more before getting a foot on the property ladder, and only then with the help of their parents, according to a new poll. The YouGov survey, commissioned by the National Housing Federation, revealed that 86% of 18-30 year-olds could not currently afford to buy a home if they wanted to, despite recent falls in house prices. Federation chief executive David Orr said: ‘The three main parties must commit to building significant numbers of affordable homes for rent and sale to avoid locking an entire generation out of having their own home. The next government must view housing in the same terms as health, education and policing – and protect it from budget cuts, given the scale of the crisis’.