FURTHER to recent letters about City of York Council’s affordable housing policy, I would like to explain the history of its failure.

The house-building industry tolerated the policy in the late 1990s when it was first introduced, because at the time the percentage at 25 per cent was made viable by a rising market and increased densities of city-centre apartment schemes allowed developers to absorb the costs.

In 2005, the council doubled the target to 50 per cent and was warned that land would not come forward and new schemes would dry up.

Increased costs from demanding building regulations and sustainability added to the problem, and then the recession wiped billions off the value of house builders, with net losses of more than £5 billion from the largest 20 house builders in 2009 and 2010.

The policy was never viable at 50 per cent, and when it was viable at 25 per cent there were not the costs that prevail now.

Unless the targets are reduced to the 15 per cent workable level requested by experts such as John Reeves and Matthew Laverack, York’s housing crisis will worsen.

Paul S Cordock, Durlston Drive, Strensall, York.