A study published by Migrationwatch today (Briefing Paper No 7.13), finds that immigration was responsible for almost 40% of the growth in households between 2001 and 2008.
Looking ahead, 36% of new households will, according to official projections, be a result of immigration so we will have to build, on average, 200 homes a day for the next 25 years just to house the extra population arising from immigration.
Even if house building were to increase by 25% over the current level to 200,000 a year, there would be a shortage of around 800,000 homes by 2033 – equivalent to the number of homes in Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Nottingham combined.
Commenting, Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of Migrationwatch UK, said:
"As we saw earlier this week political correctness has dictated that the construction and planning industry should not refer to the massive impact of immigration on housing. It is not, of course, the only factor in household formation but it is a major factor accounting for 36% of new households over the next 25 years. It is also one of the few factors that the government ought to be able to control. It is high time that we faced up to the huge impact of immigration on housing and to the severe consequences for our environment of continued mass immigration".