1 November 2006 -

The average house price in the South East of England will be GBP322,000 in five years time, almost 40% higher than today, according to a new report by the National Housing Federation.

Due to a severe lack in housing supply and a growing population, householders already face prices that are almost nine times average incomes and a sizeable amount of the population are now finding that they need help to afford a decent home. A need for affordable housing has risen throughout the region, with over 180,000 families currently on housing waiting lists - a rise of more than 50% in the last five years.

Sentinel Housing Association, which provides affordable homes in Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey, is playing a crucial role in trying to ease the housing crisis in the South East. Over the past year Sentinel has completed the development of 272 homes and is close to hitting the milestone of 250 key worker home sales. The Association has also launched a GBP12m regeneration of its sheltered schemes across the region, to modernise homes and provide improved facilities for older people.

Sentinel CEO Martin Nurse said: "The housing crisis is getting worse for all those people who don't earn enough to buy or rent in the private market. As house prices go up, then a whole swathe of people are excluded from access to home ownership. Despite them having good incomes, the threshold to be able to buy gets further away.

"This is why Sentinel and other housing associations are challenging the proposals of new homes in the South East Plan at the forthcoming examination in public. Of course, more homes mean that good design and improving infrastructure are paramount but we must increase supply of good affordable homes to meet demand and provide our children and new households with the good places to live that they deserve."