The South West's largest provider of affordable homes is backing a campaign calling for action to tackle the region's "housing crisis".
Exeter-based housing association DCH, which has more than 21,000 homes in Devon and Cornwall, is throwing its weight behind the National Housing Federation's Homes For Britain campaign.
In the lead-up to the general election, organisations from house builders to homeless charities have joined forces to call for all political parties to commit to end the housing crisis within a generation.
The Homes for Britain Land's End to London roadshow will arrive in Exeter on Tuesday, February 24, when representatives from DCH and the federation will be highlighting local housing issues at an event in Princesshay Square.
The NHF's Home Truths 2014 report highlighted the chronic shortage of new homes being built in England – currently around half the 245,000 new homes per year which experts say are needed to keep pace with demand.
NHF chief executive David Orr said: "Rising house prises and rents are spiralling out of control as demand outstrips supply decade after decade."
This means more and more people in Devon and across the country are struggling to find the homes they need at a price they can afford.
DCH chief executive Paul Crawford said: "There are 60,000 people on housing waiting lists in Devon and Cornwall. On top of that I suspect there's a whole raft of individuals who are earning but just can't buy on the open market and are struggling to get on the private rented market.
"We're seeing with our shared ownership homes that demand exceeds supply and everything we've got to sell on a shared equity or outright sale we could sell a number of times over.
"The bare facts are that house prices are between 10 and 14 times average salaries in Devon and Cornwall, so if you want to get on the housing ladder you are not going to secure a mortgage at those ratios without a significant deposit or without earning a substantial salary."
Explaining why DCH is backing the Homes for Britain campaign, Mr Crawford said: "The demand is very clear. We know we are not building enough homes by virtue of the waiting lists. The challenge is how do we work to get housing on the political agenda, locally and regionally, as a real priority and how do we work over the next five to 10 years to do more than we're doing.
"It's about greater awareness of where housing demand and supply fits in the context of many other challenges we are facing in society. Housing, health and education are all really pivotal to helping people live and sustain healthy lives longer term."
The NHF-led campaign is calling on the next government to publish a long-term plan for tackling the housing crisis within a year of taking office.
Mr Crawford said housing associations, developers and local authorities all have a part to play in tackling the problem.
"There isn't a single magic bullet here," he said. "There's a blend of issues and partnerships but I think central government needs to see housing nationally as a priority.
"I think there's an increasing recognition that building more houses is needed, making sure there's the right labour supply and materials, and LEPs and local authorities following through by promoting housing and regional economic growth in tandem."
He added: "If the market worked, we wouldn't have the housing crisis. Government being too prescriptive isn't necessarily the answer, but allowing the market to deliver isn't providing the number of homes needed for people to access good quality affordable homes so there has to be the right blend."
DCH is one of the region's largest housing developers, building more than 650 new homes in 2014/5 and a total of 3,500 homes for affordable rent, shared ownership and outright sale over the next five years.
