Today the Labour Party launched its manifesto for the General Election which included plans to scale up council house building over the next parliament.

Responding to this announcement, Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, said: “We’re pleased to see the Labour manifesto pledge of increasing investment in affordable housing over the next five years because we need at least 90,000 social rent homes each year.

“But we also need urgent investment in housing benefit. Currently thousands of families are on the brink of homelessness or forced to live in temporary accommodation because their benefits fail to cover the true cost of rent.

“Having a safe and stable home is a human need. Crisis, along with other homelessness charities, is calling for all parties to commit to a plan to end all forms of homelessness which must include investing in housing benefit so that people can afford to keep their homes in the first place, as well as build the social homes our country is crying out for.”