The Tory party is to undertake in-depth research next year into how to encourage more affordable housing, the shadow housing minister has said.

Grant Shapps told delegates at a fringe event at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham that the party would also examine how to encourage a healthy professional private rented sector.

Shapps said the work would go ahead with a view to forming new policy solutions before the next election.

He said: 鈥淭here will be two big areas of focus for me in 2009 鈥� the rented sector and social housing.

鈥淧eople have been saying for years that the private rented sector is the solution to our housing crisis. Now seems to be the moment to get it happening.鈥�

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