Continued investment in UK housing 'needed'

There is a need for continued investment in the UK's housing stock, a representative from the Building and Social Housing Foundation has said.

According to Jim Vine, who is head of programme for UK housing policy and practice at the organisation, suggested that the government should prioritise property as a spending area.

He commented: "Not only does it help to meet the need for decent roofs over families' heads, but investment in housing also keeps people in work and retains essential skills in the construction industry."

Both of these things are crucial in an economic downturn, Mr Vine added.

His remarks were made after the National Housing Federation revealed that 80,000 Londoners were waiting for social housing in the year up to April 2009 and the number of people on the lists increased in 22 of the city's boroughs.

This statistic demonstrates the need for more money to be pumped into the creation of dwellings, he claimed.