Housing Supply and House Price Trends: a County Level Analysis. ESRI Research Notes 2016/1/1

Developments in the housing market and in particular the availability and affordability of both owner-occupied and rented housing have been a topic of significant discussion over the recent past.2 Purchase prices for housing nationally have increased by 35 per cent since early 2013,3 while rental prices have increased by almost 20 per cent since early 2012,4 impacting on the affordability of housing. While higher prices affect all households, they have the biggest proportionate impact on those with lower incomes. Although not a complete measure of housing need, the waiting lists for social housing maintained by local authorities indicate a significant increase in the number of households unable to secure accommodation in the market