Young people face 'soul-destroying' struggle to buy first homes

The government wants 1.5 million new homes to be built in England by 2029 but, with the average house in the East costing £332,000, about nine times the average salary, what chance do young people have of getting on the housing ladder?

Lauren Finch, 29, told BBC Politics East a mortgage broker advised her to ask for a pay rise, get a new job or find a partner to move in with.

Living with her 28-year-old sister at her parent’s home in Lowestoft, Suffolk, she often finds herself house-sitting for friends as a way to get some independence.

She said her £24,000 salary at a GP surgery meant she could only afford a £90,000 home and would struggle to find a property in the area where she would feel safe.

“I feel frustrated that I’m at this age and living at home and it is a little bit soul-destroying,” she explained.

Renting is an option she hopes to avoid: “People I know who rent, struggle to save any money for a (mortgage) deposit.”

Former Miss Cromer Charlotte Spendlove rents a room in a friend’s house and said she received similar advice on getting on the housing ladder.

“They tell you you have to do x, y and z. They’ve said I need to get an extra job. At one time I had three jobs. But it’s not a way of life,” she said.

The 26-year-old believes people with second homes are driving up house prices and wants the government to look into the issue.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it inherited a “devastating housing crisis” and was providing support for first-time buyers.

Average house prices vary across the East of England, according to the Office for National Statistics:

• Cambridge: £521,000
• Colchester: £302,000
• Northampton: £258,000
• Norwich: £232,000
• Ipswich: £228,000

The average annual rent in the East of England is approximately £15,660, based on an average monthly rent of £1,305, a 4.2% increase on the previous year.

Environmentalist and archaeologist Helen Geake, a former Green councillor from Suffolk, said: “We have a surplus of homes but they are being used in the wrong way, being used for second homes, or short-term lets, or empty.

“Also, private rentals are a very inefficient use of a house. We have got to see more homes with owner-occupiers and socially rented.”

James Palmer, chair of regional business champion the Eastern Powerhouse, has called for better infrastructure to be built to support new housing.

Speaking at a BBC Politics East special at the Big Sky Living development at Cringleford, on the outskirts of Norwich, he said: “The public transport in the East is appalling.

“We need a long-term infrastructure plan to then deliver the homes.”

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokeswoman said: “We have inherited a devastating housing crisis.

“As set out in our plan for change, we will build 1.5 million new homes and give working people the stability and security of a home they deserve.

“We’re committed to supporting first-time buyers with a new permanent mortgage guarantee scheme, helping them take their first crucial step on the ladder with a small deposit.”