Access to affordable housing is crucial to the creation of human communities, and is a policy area of concern to the HUMAN CITY Institute (HCi). Yet current housing debates, especially those played out in the media, often centre upon housing market slowdown, failing to recognise that this market is effectively out of reach of average income households. Affordability of existing housing and increasing the supply of social housing should be the critical concerns. The Bulletin explores these concerns in anational context but with specific emphasis on HCi’s chief area of activity - the Midlands.