Builders slam MPs for questioning whether 3 million new homes are still needed

More homes must be built to house the 1.5 million people on council waiting lists, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has warned.

The FMB was responding to yesterday's report from the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee report, which said that the government should “urgently review” its target to build 3 million homes by 2020.

The report said the government should question whether the target “is still justified on the basis of the latest economic growth projections, fundamental changes in the mortgage market and house prices”.

Brian Berry, director of external affairs at the FMB, said that the government should not discard its housing targets in the face of the global financial crisis.

“The fact that Britain is suffering an economic downturn doesn't take away from the fact that there are thousands of families in this country who still need affordable housing,” he said.

“It's nothing short of a scandal that we have 90,000 families living in temporary accommodation and over 1.5 million people on council house waiting lists. Now is not the time to abandon housing targets.”

The global downturn has hit housebuilders particularly hard.

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