HAMPSHIRE faces a massive housing shortage within the next 20 years, latest figures have revealed today.

A new report by the National Housing Federation warns that thousands of people in the county could be left fighting to get a home they can afford by 2033.

It comes as the number of households and new homes needed in Hampshire is set to rise from 743,400 in 2012 to 904,000 in 2033 - a rise of 22 per cent - yet only half the homes needed to house the 39,000 families that are forming each year are being built.

The Home Truths: South East report warns that Gosport will be hit hardest with households rising by 26 per cent and that this rise of demand and lack of supply will cause house prices and rents to rocket.

House prices in Hampshire are already five per cent about the national average and 11 times the average Hampshire income, with an expected rise of another 61 per cent over the next ten years.

In the last ten years Southampton has already seen a 215.8 per cent rise in the number of people on social housing waiting lists, while the number of households in the city is expected to rise by 23 per cent by 2033.

The National House Federation is calling on the government and local politicians to work with the housing industry to tackle the crisis now but they are also asking the public to support the building of new homes.

In a bid to achieve this aim, they are launching a new campaign, Yes to Home, to give residents the chance to show councillors and politicians that new homes matter.

Warren Finney, from the National Housing Federation, said: “This is a problem that will not go away unless we take action. Our population is increasing, with people living longer and more single-person households, and this only increases the pressure on our struggling housing market.

“If the housing crisis doesn't affect you now, the chances are it will in the next few years - if not you, then your children, your parents or your friends.

“House prices and rents are already out of reach for many families, with thousands of working people having to rely on Government support to pay their rent and waiting lists for social housing increasing.

“We are quite simply not building enough homes to keep up with demand, and unless this changes, the situation is only going to get worse. It's time for us all - politicians, industry and local people in Hampshire - to say yes to homes.”