I RECENTLY applied to buy a home on the discounted sale scheme.

I was told by the council when applying for a mortgage via my bank that I should inform them the mortgage was for a discounted sale new build and that a 20 per cent deposit may be needed.

My bank said five per cent would be fine. Fantastic you would think, until I was told by the council that my application for the scheme would be accepted if I had the 20 per cent deposit, so to my anger and dismay I now cannot afford a 20 per cent deposit and only have five per cent.

As a first-time buying single working parent who can only get a mortgage of up to £95,000 this scheme was perfect, given the average two-bed house in York on the open market is £145,000 and the house I could have bought through the scheme was a three-bed house costing £95,000.

How am I supposed to raise the £18,000 deposit the council tells me I need when I feel very proud I’ve managed to scrimp and save the five per cent my bank says is fine? It turns out affordable housing isn’t very affordable.

L Smith, Poppleton Road, York.