Key workers struggling for homes

Affordable housing is a big challenge for Oxfordshire, the report finds

A report showing how difficult it is for key public service workers to buy or rent in Oxfordshire is being unveiled at a conference on Friday.

The meeting brings together developers, union representatives and local councils to discuss the problem.

The report will show that average house prices have risen 171% in eight years, and earnings by just 40%.

Fourteen percent of key workers in the county are now struggling to pay their rent or find homes they can afford.

The report's authors, the Oxfordshire Community Partnership, say the lack of affordable housing is the biggest priority facing the county.

They also looked at how the issue affects recruitment and staff retention amongst local employers.

The report will now be used to inform debate and planning for the future, the authors hope.