Reading housing in CRISIS: 1 in 5 Reading renters hit by £1,300 annual increase

Recent data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows renters in Reading are facing skyrocketing increases in rent leaving them spending 40% of their income on housing.

The ONS has announced that Reading residents are some of the worst affected by rising housing costs in the whole of England and Wales. Not only are more households than elsewhere facing an increase in rent, but these increases also tend to be higher.

This comes on the heels of a series of broken Conservative party promises on housing - failing to build any of 200,000 promised starter homes, failing to abolish unfair evictions and failing to build replacement homes for those lost from Right to Buy.

As part of a raft of proposals, the Liberal Democrats are calling for 380,000 new homes to be build nationwide and 150,000 new council houses to lower prices and rents and get the housing crisis under control.

Liberal Democrat candidate for Reading Central, Henry Wright, said:

"These figures only confirm what so many people in Reading are struggling with on a  month by month basis - the cost of housing is already too high and rises show no sign of slowing.

"The Conservative government's record of failure in this area is clear - failure on leasehold reform, failure on rent reform and failure to keep mortgage prices in check

"I am clear that the only way out of this crisis is to build more homes, and ensure more of what we do build is affordable. The Conservative party has failed on housing and the General Election provides an opportunity to vote for a liberal pro-housing alternative."