People living in Bradford West are less likely to own their own home than people in other parts of the district.

New figures reveal that under two-thirds of people - 61.4 per cent - living in Bradford West own their home.

The highest number of people in the Bradford area who own their property live in Shipley - at 78.7 per cent. Shipley also has the lowest number of people renting privately at 7.5 per cent - below the 11.7 percent national average.

Three-quarters of people in Keighley own a property and only 9.9 per cent rent privately. The average for owner-occupiers across West Yorkshire stands at 66.1 per cent, compared to 69.8 per cent nationally.

Despite house prices nationally rising by 4.6 per cent year on year, house prices in Bradford are still lower than average at £126,068 in 2005, according to the Land Registry.

Prices in Bradford remain much lower than neighbouring Leeds with properties there costing an average £156,863.

The figures come as the Government is warned it must do more to promote low-cost home ownership to get more people onto the property ladder.

Labour MP for Bradford West Marsha Singh said: "The figures have come as a bit of a surprise to me that there is such a big difference in the number of people who own their own homes across the area. More people may be having to rent in Bradford West because of the cost of house prices. We still have got levels of unemployment and deprivation. The area also has lower wages on the whole than some other areas.

"Since 1997, when I was elected, I have noticed in my surgeries that there is more and more demand for houses in Bradford West and I am pleased with the new Government powers to take over empty housing stock and provide housing for people who need it."

Shipley Conservative MP Philip Davies said: "I am delighted so many people in Shipley own their own home and can enjoy it. However, it is still 25 per cent that do not. Young people are really struggling to get on to the property ladder and ownership levels across the areas are so diverse.

"What must not happen is the Government launch a crusade to get people to own their own homes and interfere. However, I do welcome all schemes which encourage people to own part of a house as a starting point."

The National Audit office, which produced the figures, said although 11,000 households receive help to buy a property through Government-funded programmes during 2004/05, demand exceeded supply with 60,000 households a year wanting help. The NAO said better targeting of assistance to those most in need of help and more efficient administration of the programmes could help more than 4,000 additional families buy a home each year.

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