Here’s an idea …

I have a good job and earn a good salary for my age. My bank will lend me £70,000 but that doesn’t go very far in Sheffield.

As housing associations should be able to procure housebuilding services at an exceptional rate, could they not build me a decent home in a reasonable area for this amount? I’d still pay the mortgage (so the bank’s happy), they would have provided a new home for me (I’m happy) and I could give up my council home to someone in a worse position than me (they’re happy, too).

This seems like an ideal public–private partnership and would take the emphasis off the need for social housing.