The housing association operates throughout the east of England

Nick Abbey, chief executive of Hereward Housing - based in Ely, Cambs - said people in the East are also unable to find affordable privately rented homes.

Government figures predict the number of households in the East will go from 2.2m in 2003 to 2.9m in 2026.

Mr Abbey said in particular "fewer than half the number of affordable homes" are being built in the Cambridge area.

"The result is that Council and housing association waiting lists are growing, with people having to wait longer to find a home," he said.

'Problem will get worse'

Hereward Housing operates throughout the east of England and Mr Abbey recently gave evidence to a planning inquiry about the number of new homes needed in the region.

Danny Friedman, director of policy at the National Housing Federation, said: "All the signs point to a significant rise in new households over the next generation.

"This is something we cannot afford to avoid and the problem will only get worse if we do not step up the provision of affordable homes."

Hereward Housing, which has a range of properties in the East - particularly in Cambs and Suffolk - is a member of Sanctuary Housing Group, one of the country's largest housing associations.

Hereward owns more than 4,000 affordable homes and manages more than 2,300 homes in the region on behalf of Sanctuary. Hereward also has a regional office in Ipswich.