The UK housing crisis has been building for a number of years due to various governments missing house-building targets. This has led to prices rising, putting pressure on both property sales and the private rented sector, as people who can’t afford to buy opt to rent.

While increasing supply is seen by many as the answer, there are other, less conventional, ways to tackle the problem. 

1. Shared living

Strutt & Parker’s Housing Futures report says more people are living alone - maybe it’s time we reversed this trend and started living together? Many single people can’t afford a mortgage on their own, so clubbing together with one or two friends could open up the housing market to them.

Or you could adopt a more old-fashioned style and live with your parents and grandparents in one building. Figures from the NHBC say this style of living like ‘The Waltons’ has been taken up by nearly half a million people already.

Co-housing developments, such as Springhill in Gloucestershire, give people their own living area but have shared grounds, parking and even communal dining. The aim is to make housing more affordable and to bring back the concept of community.

2. Downsizing

Downsizing - selling your large home for something smaller and more affordable – is becoming more popular as the older generation realise they don’t need the extra rooms and can free up equity by selling.

Figures from Lloyds Bank show that 52% of people planning to move in the next 3 years are planning to downsize. Andy Hulme, mortgages director at Lloyds, says downsizing is helping to keep the housing market moving, freeing up larger properties for those making their way up the ladder.

3. Alternative homes

Pod-housing could be the future of affordable homes. These can be built off-site and moved into place, whether at a disused brownfield site in a town centre or in a forest or by a lakeside. As they have a small footprint and aren’t a permanent structure, planning is easier and they have less impact on the environment in the long term.

An alternative is self-build. The UK has one of the lowest self-build markets in Europe - around 7% of new homes compared to 80% in Austria. Still, around 12,000 homes a year are self-built and plans are in the pipeline to support more self-builders. Experts have however called for changes to the way they are built. Research from the University of York suggests many self-build homes are not actually adding to the housing supply as they were built on land that previously held a home.

4. Crowd-funding

From property investors to first-time buyers, crowd-funding has become a viable option to fund a house purchase. Some websites are now offering potential buyers the chance to take a small share in a buy-to-let property or loan. Other sites are offering people the chance to get involved with property development from the ground up. You can invest a small amount in a new development and hopefully enjoy the returns.

This could in the future be another source of new homes away from the mainstream market. However, there are fees and risks associated and the industry is very much in its infancy.

5. Change in attitudes to renting

While England has seen a rise in renting, the proportion is still only around 19%. In Germany, around 40% live in private rented accommodation, while in Switzerland, more than half do. One of the reasons renting is more popular in Germany, apart from it being cheaper, is renters have better rights:

• it’s harder to evict tenants and takes longer
• tenancy agreements tend to be for a minimum of two years
• rent rises are restricted
• tenants have a lot more freedom to adapt the homes to their needs

The rules regarding renting tend to be that you can do what you like in the flat as long as you return it to its original state when moving out. This could include major renovations. If Brits were offered a similar agreement, then maybe they would feel more secure in a rental and it would be seen as a more viable option to buying.