More than a quarter of people have said housing must be a top priority for the next Government, research from a building society showed.
Leeds Building Society conducted a survey with more than 2,000 responses and found 27% of people believed housing was an important issue, just coming behind the health service, the economy and immigration.
More than six out of 10 people polled said the cost of housing was important to them, and 26% said it would have a likely or very likely impact on how they vote.
For 41% of respondents, building affordable homes was considered a main concern for the next Government, while 26% said there should be a focus on housing incentive schemes such as Help to Buy.
The development of any form of housing, including social rent and later life, was chosen as a priority by 71% of people.
Rent and house prices main concerns
As for the issues related to housing specifically that people were most worried about, half of those polled said the cost of renting was a major issue, while 49% said house prices.
A further 41% named the cost of mortgages, while a third said saving a deposit was a significant problem with housing in the UK.
Younger people are more likely to see housing as an important issue, with two-fifths of those under 35 choosing it as a priority compared to 29% of 35-54-year-olds and 16% of people aged 55 and over.
People living in private or social rented homes and planning to buy in the next five years also prioritised housing, with this being important to 46% of respondents in this position.
This was also the case for 39% of people planning to buy and still living with family.
Voting intentions
A third of people intending to vote Labour said housing was a priority, compared to 17% who expected to choose Conservative.
Some 19% of respondents said they were still unsure on who they would be voting for in the general election.
Govt must address housing
Richard Fearon, chief executive of Leeds Building Society, said: “We’re dealing with a homeownership crisis [that] has been decades in the making, and our research shows voters want it addressed by the next Government.
“We need all political parties to articulate how they would realistically help more people achieve the dream of owning a home and create stronger communities as a result.”
He added: “There is overwhelming public support for building more homes and other potential solutions – that needs to be matched by the conviction of the next Government to finally address the homeownership crisis.”
