Britain is in the midst of a housing crisis that’s been decades in the making, say campaigners.

Only half the number of homes we need are being built. And as the general election looms, the issue of housing is taking centre stage. Jonathan Maitland investigates for the Tonight programme.

The average house now costs £272,000 and high prices are locking millions out of home ownership, say critics. Some say that radical solutions are the answer.

Wisley, near Guildford, Surrey is one battleground. A large housing development is being proposed here - right in the middle of greenbelt. And the locals are not happy.

Meanwhile, high house prices are leaving millions with little choice but to rent - with few legal rights and little hope of getting on the housing ladder.

More than 80,000 people went to the Citizens Advice Bureau with a problem over a privately rented home last year.

The Jones’ are one struggling family. Parents-of-two Alison and David moved from Manchester to Northamptonshire to be nearer to their parents. They rented a two-bed Victorian former school house in the village of Charlton in Spring 2011.

But as winter arrived, they ran up high bills. Now despite both working, they say they simply can’t afford to heat their draughty rented home.

Despite spending £30,000 on rent over the last four years, during the winter the family spend their waken hours living in one room. The obvious option would be to leave, but Alison explains: “We can’t just move. We haven’t got the money to. And also it means uprooting the children who are very happy in the village.”

Chartered surveyor Tim Allcott assessed the property under the Government’s Decent Homes Scheme. It failed because of mould, excessive cold, inadequate insulation and the potential for water leaking into the mains electrics box from the bathroom directly above it.

But the landlord, the governing body of the school next door, say that £6,000 was spent on repairing and maintaining external woodwork and guttering last year and plans are ongoing to modernise the kitchen and bathroom later this year.

They also dispute the claim that the electrics are unsafe and say the heating system in the house is in full working order, though they accept the property had fallen into poor repair.

About a third of houses in the rented sector would fail the Government’s Decent Homes Standard, according to Housing and Homeless charity, Shelter. And campaigners argue that renters have few rights.

Last year, around 200,000 renters faced so-called ‘revenge evictions’.

To have any chance of getting on the property ladder, today’s first time buyers have to make sacrifices. They’re sometimes called “The Pause Generation” because they have to delay getting married, buying a house or starting a family because of lack of funds.

Like Ivan and Lauren Pinney who started out married life living with Lauren’s parents in order to save up a house deposit. Two years later, they’ve moved into their new home and Lauren is pregnant with their first child.

Supporters of self-build believe it is one good way to stimulate house building. The UK self-builds a lot fewer houses than many of our European neighbours.

Parents-of-two Kate and Gordon found it tough when they spent a year building themselves a brand new 3-bed bungalow under an affordable home scheme run by Shropshire Council.

“We were both working and trying to be parents as well. It just took over our lives. We were completely unsociable. We completely neglected our friends and family. We have to pinch ourselves now because it’s finished and now it’s time to enjoy it.”

For more information please visit the following links:

Shelter – the Housing and Homeless charity

Citizens Advice – provides advice for people in housing need

Generation Rent – campaigning on behalf of private renters

Priced Out – campaigning for affordable housing

Rental Raters – rates private rented stock