The exchanges between Southend councillors Anna Waite and Ian Gilbert on housing shortages (Aug 19) fail to address the problem.

Last year I visited South Africa where the provision of low-cost housing has full cross-party agreement.

There are quite large estates of buildings resembling the post war pre-fabs in this country. These are basic, but adequate.

In this country we try to add a few "affordable"

properties to private developments.

Developers resent this and try to evade it and the actual housing provided is poor, usually too small, and only just within reach of people on average wages.

In South Africa the rents are not much more than token payments and within the budgets of quite poor people.

The water supply is free and there is exemption from property taxes.

However, there is not normally a long period of occupancy and no question of passing on a lease to the next generation. People are generally keen to move on to better things.

Policy makers in this country need to think rather more about what can be done.

It may be that we should do some serious new building of the sort I suggest.

Denis Garne
Central Avenue
Southend