THE housing crisis facing York will be under the spotlight this week, when the city's MP appears on a TV chat show.

Hugh Bayley, will be a guest on this Sunday's episode of The Politics Show, on BBC1.

He will discuss how people in York are struggling with rising house prices, and increasing mortgage rates.

The political chat show will feature Mr Bayley talking about how his constituents are finding it increasingly difficult to buy a home in their own city.

His appearance comes after he delivered a speech in Parliament, setting out a 12-point action plan to combat rising prices and a shortage of family homes in York.

His proposals included the Government increasing York's social housing grant so housing associations had more money to go into partnerships with developers; permitting more greenfield development for family housing; and allowing the council to reinvest more of its receipts from council house sales in new housing.

He also said City of York Council should provide cash incentives for tenants to trade down from family-sized homes, and set up a "rent and save" scheme for single people and childless couples.

Mr Bayley told the House of Commons: "For first-time buyers, the cost of a house in York virtually trebled in six years. What kind of first-time buyer can afford a home costing £131,000?

"Assuming that they put down a five per cent deposit and obtained a mortgage of three-and-a-half times their salary, they would need to earn £36,000 a year. Half of all residents in York in full-time employment earn less than £22,620. They would need to borrow six times their salary to buy, which is beyond them.

"That means that half of working households in York are unable to buy a home in their city."

He added: "House prices are spiralling beyond the reach of many local people. You now have to earn more than the average wage to get on the first rung of the housing ladder.

"We need to build more houses for sale and rent, and to earmark as many as possible as affordable housing.

"I want both national and local government to change policies and work together to bring more housing on stream."

Mr Bayley will appear on The Politics Show on Sunday at noon.