BUYING a home is out of the reach of many Yorkshire residents, a new report has claimed.

The National Housing Federation said privately-rented homes are also becoming increasingly unaffordable, with people spending more than 28 per cent of their monthly income on rent in Yorkshire and the Humber.

The Federation suggested more affordable housing could improve the situation, and social housing provider Yorkshire Housing agreed.

Mervyn Jones, chief executive of Yorkshire Housing, said: "We are playing our part by continuing to build much-needed homes year on year. However, we need a proper debate on how to solve the crisis, once and for all. With a further 369,000 households expected to be formed, contributing to a projected shortfall of 200,000 homes in the region within just two decades, we need to be doing everything we can to meet that kind of demand."