The National Housing Federation (NHF) has welcomed John Healey's appointment as Housing Minister but warned he has little time to waste in addressing the country's chronic housing crisis.

Mr Healey succeeds Margaret Beckett as Housing Minister after she announced she was resigning from the post ahead of a cabinet reshuffle.

NHF Chief Executive David Orr said: "We warmly welcome the appointment of John Healey and look forward to working closely with him.

"The country is facing an unprecedented housing crisis. The number of new homes being built this year is expected to slump to an 88-year low, while waiting lists for affordable homes have hit record levels.

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"Clearly the new minister must get Britain building again.

"Mr Healey must also look at ways of getting the nationalised banks to lend to the thousands of people who are currently being refused mortgages for shared ownership properties - despite having good credit records.

"The minister will need to work closely with housing associations to deliver the thousands of affordable homes this country desperately needs."

Mr Orr also praised Margaret Beckett's contribution to housing following her resignation.

He said: "Margaret Beckett brought a wealth of ministerial experience to the role and was willing to engage and listen to the concerns of the sector.

"She understood the tough challenges created by the recession and backed the Federation's calls for greater grant flexibility to ensure house-building continued during the downturn.

"Mrs Beckett was also instrumental in introducing a package of measures aimed at helping people avoid losing their homes during the repossession."

(CD/JM)