In his keynote address to Labour’s annual conference in Brighton, Jeremy Corbyn underlined Labour's plans to put in place rent controls, tax undeveloped land banked by developers, and ensure that every home is fit for human habitation.

Commenting after the Labour leader’s speech John Hannett – Usdaw General Secretary said: “The lack of affordable housing is leaving many workers with no option but to rent privately; a sector characterised by high rents, hidden fees, short-term tenancies and the worry of eviction. Many suffer poor living conditions with a third of private rented homes failing to meet acceptable standards.

“The housing shortage has resulted in average house prices rising dramatically to around seven times average incomes, so it is becoming more difficult for working families to save for a deposit or to cover the costs of a mortgage.

“It is clear that much more must be done to provide good, affordable housing and that only a Labour Government will take action to tackle this crisis.”

Notes for editors:

Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with over 430,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 20% in the decade. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the Union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.

For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion