IN THE Letters page of January 15, Christian Vassie asks for us all to “cool the rhetoric”, and he mentioned among other things “our housing shortage… which has much to do about failure to build more houses”.

Recently we drove down Tang Hall Lane and I counted 23 houses with to-let signs in their gardens.

Looking down the sidestreets, there were many more, and this is because they are in close proximity to the university and are lettings only for students.

These houses were built as social housing to meet the needs of families on the council housing list.

Sadly, they have been sold off at a discount price to the occupiers and have now become second homes.

What a crying shame that these lovely family homes are not available for families for whom they were intended, and as such contributes to the shortage of homes for families.

S Brown, Dunnington, York.