UK housing crisis made worse by national brick shortage

The UK’s housing crisis is being exacerbated by a chronic shortage of bricks.

The supply of building materials is failing to keep pace with demand for homes, according to the National Association of Estate Agents.

It said the industry would need to find 1.4 billion bricks to plug the housing shortfall.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research study found more than 60% of small and medium-sized construction firms faced a two-month wait for new brick orders last year.

Building companies are having to wait for orders for bricks.