Now the dust has settled after the general election, I wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate Ms Siobhain McDonagh MP on the recent election.

Affording a home is tough for many people in Mitcham and Morden. At an average of £257,899, house prices are 12 times the average take home pay of people who live in the area. Rents in the private sector are no better - taking up an average of 88% of local people’s pay checks. For many, buying a home of their own is a distant dream.

We have a housing crisis and at its heart is the reality that not nearly enough homes have been built for generations. Housing associations are a key part of the solution to this crisis both across the country and in Mitcham and Morden. They build 45,000 homes a year - for rent, for sale and shared ownership - but want to do much more. Their vision is to deliver 120,000 of the 245,000 homes this country desperately needs each year by 2033.

The National Housing Federation represents over 1,000 housing associations that provide homes to more than five million people across the country. Our new Government has committed to end the housing crisis within a generation, now it must free up land and provide proper investment. We look forward to supporting and working with Ms Siobhain McDonagh MP in Parliament to solve the housing crisis.

David Orr

National Housing Federation

via email