People are finding it more difficult to get on to the housing ladder says the head of a Heybridge based housing association.

Now Plume Housing Association is supporting a national campaign to put housing on the agenda.

Our Homes - Our Future was launched last week which marks the beginnings of a massive consultation exercise to gather views, hopes and aspirations of people around the country and use them to make homes become the backbone of the political agenda.

"The housing market is creating some massive winners but many losers," says John Wheeldon, chief executive of Plume Housing.

He adds: "It is not surprising that confidence in relying on market forces is so low. We have 1,300 people on our waiting list who need a rented home in Maldon district and yet we can only house around 200 a year.

"In this area, house prices rose by over 10 per cent last year with the average price of a home over £100,000. Whilst this is a good run for those of us who own a house, it is making it harder and harder for local people to get on the housing ladder."

Jim Coulter, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, one of the organisers of the national campaign adds: "Good homes mean improved prospects for health, education and employment.

"But it is clear we can no longer rely on the housing market as it is. We need a national strategy that ensures that everyone has a decent home at a price they can afford."

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