In the UK we have a "shortage of housing" - what we also have is a lot of property left empty for investment purposes, unrentable property because it's too expensive for normal people and landlords who can't manage to get a new lot of tenants.
Affordable housing has to be genuinely affordable and none of the silly shared equity schemes we've been having here. Why buy only 50% or 25% of a house? Why buy with a stranger? We even had a TV show about that.
Every new house built should be built to the highest green standards and ensure that they require minimal input of grid energy and be more self-sufficient in grey water usage. And at the same time why don't developers have to ensure that each property has an allottment sized piece of garden on which they could grow food should they want to?
We need to build housing that is safe, green, affordable and sustainable and in a way that makes people want to copy the ideas used for the existing homes.
I'd love to see more local energy generation. I know one lot of housing near me has solar panels on! It's a small start but definately moving in the right direction now.