OXFORD East MP Anneliese Dodds and the leader of Oxford City Council have written to the Government, urging it to get a grip of the housing crisis.

They said the Government has failed to ‘rise to the challenges’ of problems across the country such as homelessness, and urged it to do more.

Ms Dodds and Susan Brown said rough sleeping across the country have increased every year since 2010, just as the cost of private rents have soared.

In Oxford, which was last month declared the least affordable city in the UK by Lloyds Bank, they said the problems are being felt even more acutely.

Ms Dodds said: “One of the common things I have raised with me – and in fact it’s the most common cause of homelessness in Oxford now – is that people have been evicted by their landlord.

“It used to be that the most common cause was relationship breakdown or people becoming homeless because their parents couldn’t have them in the home.

“But now it’s people not being able to stay in the existing property.

"That could be because of breakdown of relations or anti-social behaviour.

"I’m not saying that never happens, but it’s also because of the increase in the rent level, which means the tenant just can’t afford to pay it anymore.”

Ms Dodds and Ms Brown called for the Government to increase housebuilding to at least 100,000 every year and urged that the homes are ‘genuinely affordable’.

The pair also point out that Oxford City has retained its 8,000 council houses and increased funding for homelessness services.

They have also told the housing minister, Dominic Raab, that the city council has also enforced stricter rules for landlords of homes in multiple occupation (HMOs).

But they urged Mr Raab to take advice from housing and planning groups, the Local Government Association and the Labour Party.

They also asked for renters’ rights to be protected by attempting to make three-year tenancies ‘the norm’.

Reversing the abolition of housing benefit for 18 to 21-year-olds and safeguarding homeless hostels, rough sleeping services and supported housing from cuts are other measures they want the Government to implement.

Ms Dodds added: “Whether it’s rising numbers of rough sleepers, private renters who have to pay the majority of their income on rent, or couples who can’t afford to buy the house they need to start a family, the people of Oxford are being failed by the housing market.”

Ms Brown said: “It is terrible that thanks to national policies on welfare reform, the lack of investment in housing and the cuts to local government and health services some of our most vulnerable citizens are being left homeless.

“Although our services have helped many people to get the help they need, the numbers coming through are rising all the time."