SIR – Increasing the availability of affordable social housing is an issue that needs to be addressed after the General Election by whoever is in power.

Currently, rigid government rules on how much purchase income from sales of “Right to Buy” housing can be spent on building replacements are preventing the building of new social housing. This is increasing waiting lists for people in areas of desperate need.

In a new report, 73 per cent of councils said they expected to replace fewer than half of social housing stock under “Right to Buy” rules, with 12 per cent saying none would be replaced. Almost 1.4 million households are on housing waiting lists.

David Hornsby, West View Avenue, Wrose