BRADFORD'S MPs are being urged to back a campaign to free up more land and investment to boost the building of more affordable homes.

The National Housing Federation, which represents more than 1,000 housing associations, has written to the city's MPs, including new MPs Naz Shah and Imran Hussain and Judith Cummins.

Its chief executive, David Orr, said that in parts of Bradford house prices are six or seven times the average take home pay of people who live locally.

"Affording a home is tough for many people in Bradford," said Mr Orr.

Research by the Federation shows that in Bradford East, house prices are on average £101,649 - six times the average annual salary of people who live in the area,

"Rents in the private sector are no better - taking up an average of 35 per cent of local people’s pay cheques. For many, buying a home of their own is a distant dream."

Mr Orr added: "We have a housing crisis and at its heart is the reality that not nearly enough homes have been built for generations.

"Housing associations are a key part of the solution to this crisis both across the country and in Bradford.

"They build 45,000 homes a year – for rent, for sale and shared ownership – but want to do much more. Their vision is to deliver 120,000 of the 245,000 homes this country desperately needs each year by 2033."

A spokesman for the Federation said more land was needed for housing association developments, along with more capital investment from the Government.

She said housing associations wanted to build more homes but were held back by a lack of funds and land on which to build.

Each MP is being sent an information pack and an invite to a drop-in event at the Houses of Parliament on July 13.

In Bradford West, the average house price is £111,566, which is seven times the average take home pay of the average resident.

Bradford West Labour MP Naz Shah is supportive of the aims of the Federation, saying: "I have previously sat on a board of a housing association and am familiar with the issues. Anything that affects my constituents is of interest to me."

Bradford East MP Imran Hussain said the Government's plans to extend the Right to Buy legislation to 1.3m housing association tenants would worsen the housing situation if homes that are sold are not replaced with more affordable stock.

"A lot of my casework is around people wanting support to be able to get social housing but the homes are not available. I will work with housing associations to look at ways of improving that situation."

A spokesman for Yorkshire Housing, which has 2,600 housing association properties across Bradford district, said it had plans to build more than 1,500 new homes across Yorkshire in the next three years.

The developments, in partnership with various developers, were being funded with a £200m loan to be repaid over a 30-year period.

Its chief executive Mervyn Jones said: "Yorkshire housing supports the National Housing Federation’s calls to end the housing crisis.

"Too many people are struggling to get on the housing ladder or unable to afford a home which meets their needs. To tackle the crisis we need to build more of the right types of home in the right place."