YORK is the least affordable place in Yorkshire and the Humber for young families trying to get a foot on the housing ladder.

Research by housing charity Shelter shows that just one percent of houses for sale in York would be within the reach of a a family trying to buy their first home - the lowest figure in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

The figures were gathered when the charity surveyed the asking prices of homes for sale on one day, and compared them to average wages, deposits and mortgages for first time buyers.

In York, only eight out of 817 homes for sale would have been affordable for a working family - with one full time and one part time income - trying to buy their first home, in Harrogate 46 out of 1,345, and Scarborough 129 out of 1,104.

The situation was even worse for single people relying on only one average income to buy - just 0.9 percent of homes were affordable; while even childless couples with two incomes would find just 20 percent of homes for sale within their budget.

York’s council leader James Alexander has called the revelations clear proof of York’s housing crisis.

He said: “This is why many York families are being priced out of their own city. Since Labour won control of the council our actions have brought forward a dramatic increase in the number of planning consents and development on brownfield sites has started, but we still need an increase in land supply for homes and employment to stop a generation being lost to ‘generation rent’.

“Every York hardworking family should be able to live in a decent home they can afford and this shouldn’t be a privilege of the few.”