Housing is many UK voters’ priority but rental system remains unfixed

Rents are soaring, housebuilding is lagging and long-promised eviction reform has still not been enacted

• Artist cuts rent by commuting from Argentina

Andy Leek's escape to Argentina from Britain's soaring rents is no doubt extreme. But the fact that this relatively successful artist feels he is better off paying transatlantic air fares than stumping up forever rising landlord demands is indicative of a crisis that only ever seems to get worse.

Polls show 23% of voters now rank housing as the most important issue facing the country, up from 14% at the December 2019 general election. More people now rate it as the priority than crime or the environment, according to YouGov. Yet little is done.