Britain’s chronic housing shortage is a major issue, with a backlog of 4.3 million missing homes. While the Government aims to build 300,000 new homes per year, only 250,000 were built last year. The issue is most acute in economically successful cities and towns, where demand for housing outstrips supply due to planning regulations that disconnect the two. This has led to inequalities in housing wealth and pressure on the welfare state, with solutions including planning reform and releasing green belt around commuter stations.