Forty councils in England built no social housing for five years due to cuts

Government focus on homes at higher affordable' rent helps fuel drastic shortage with demand poised to surge

Forty councils in England saw no social rent housing built in five years in the wake of government funding cuts, according to official figures analysed by the Observer.

In 2010 the Conservative-led coalition slashed funding for subsidised housing by 60% and redirected the remaining money away from social rent and towards more expensive affordable rent" housing.