Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Greenhalgh on 26 January (HL Deb, col 1500), what assessment they have made of the level of household income that would be needed to afford a home defined as "affordable".

The Government does not a prescribe a definition of affordability, but we recognise that the fundamental purpose of social housing is to provide affordable, safe and secure homes to those who cannot afford to rent or buy through the open market. This purpose is reflected in the definition of affordable housing in the National Planning Policy Framework and in our approach to setting maximum rent levels in social housing. The vast majority of rented social housing in England is let at Social Rent using a formula that takes account of relative county earnings (among several other factors). In the case of Affordable Rent, the initial rent is capped at up to 80 per cent of the equivalent market rent (except in London where both Social Rent and Affordable Rent levels tend to be lower).

The Government continues to invest to deliver different types of rented social housing to meet the needs of a wide range of households including those at risk of homelessness in areas of the country where affordability is most pressured.

For those who cannot afford their rent, Housing Benefit or Universal Credit is available to provide support with housing costs.