I READ with interest the letter from Geoffrey Searstone (Home truths, July 2). He asserts “many working-class people in York own their own homes – not because they’re privileged, but because they are being rewarded for doing two things: working hard and saving hard”.

This I do not doubt. However, this is no longer the case for many young families. Those who cannot gain access to capital from parents, work and receive low wages and have to rely on housing benefit, do not have a realistic prospect of home ownership.

A YouGov poll recently conducted for a special housing series called Housing Headache revealed 35 per cent of people do not think they will ever be able to afford to buy a home – 29 per cent said their children will probably not be able to either.

Home ownership peaked at 69 per cent in 2001 and has since been declining. While other political parties in the city argue we do not need more homes, the reality is young families in York are being priced out of their own city. Labour is serious about tackling York’s homes crisis and therefore we are motivated to see the supply of homes increase.

Cllr James Alexander, Labour Leader of City of York Council, West Offices, York.