I WAS recently going through some of my late mothers papers, when I came across a draft autobiography. It was filled with the familiar stories of how she met my dad, her friendships and how happy she had been bringing up a family in the 1950s.

However one chilling sentence stood out for me. "For two years [after the war] we were homeless and I will not describe those unhappy times"

I always knew that my mum and dad had been homeless, but I never heard the details. What was instilled in me by my parents was the importance of a home for a family. I can also recall the pride that they took in the home they were finally able to move into, and where I was brought up.

I am sure many people of my generation can remember stories told by their parents of the hardship of those post war years. We are all, I hope, in agreement that alongside an NHS, free education and protection from starvation, one of the government's duties is to ensure we all have an opportunity to live in a decent home.

READ MORE: Let's rejoice in public service in Cumbria

Unfortunately we are falling short of that goal. Estimates vary, but there seems to be agreement that we are at least one million houses short of what is needed. There is no indication that we have picked up the pace to meet this demand. I read recently that a third of under 35-year-old adults still live with their parents, and that a significant percentage of under-45s have had to delay decisions on marriage and families, due to the housing shortage.

This is a serious crisis and I feel deeply for those affected by it.

In South Lakeland, we have a desperate need for good affordable housing. There are almost 3,000 families on the housing waiting list. It is for these families that we need to build new homes that have either affordable rental costs or affordable price tags. In the district, we have a target of 1,000 new affordable homes to rent to be built by 2025 and 750 affordable houses to buy, by the same deadline.

In order to get these homes we require developers, when they build a development, to ensure 35 per cent of the development is composed of affordable housing. Developers and land owners usually make substantial profits on a development, and part of the deal is that they deliver good affordable housing. This may result in more open market housing than some residents would want. Certainly, it results in more greenfield sites being used than I would like.

I remember one of the last conversations with my mum, that sums it up for me. She said: "I don't want them building in the field next to where I live, but if it means a family in need gets a decent home, then OK."

Britain may not yet be doing what is needed on the housing front, but I like to think that, in this part of the county, we are trying to play our part.

GILES ARCHIBALD

Leader SLDC Council