Extending ‘right to buy’ will not solve the housing crisis. Nor will any of the other provisions in the Government’s crackpot proposals.

There is a huge imbalance between supply and demand. With a steady birth rate and ever increasing numbers of people coming to this country there is no possibility of reducing demand.

Therefore, the only solution is a massive house building programme to boost supply; but the government will not provide funding for sufficient amounts of genuine social housing. That would involve vote-losing taxation - which no political party wishes to contemplate.

At the same time government is hitting private sector house builders with ever more obligations and regulations so that spec building is no longer an attractive proposition; except for a handful of very large companies who enjoy economies of scale and have the resources to cope with all the demands.

It is a similar story with the private rental market. The relentless attack on private landlords is convincing many to get out of the business.

The situation is dire, especially in York. Whenever we put a rental unit on the market we are inundated with people looking for a roof over their heads. We feel sorry for those we have to turn away. We would love to help by providing more homes but under the present regulatory burden it is just no longer worth the effort or the risk.

Like many other small and medium enterprises we will not be expanding our portfolio but reducing our stock.

The housing crisis is set to get worse, much worse.

Matthew Laverack, Architect/ developer/landlord,

Lord Mayors Walk, York