After working out in the community for 33 years I know that a house is the corner stone of everybody's life.

Without a home of your own you cannot apply for credit, receive benefits, apply for a passport or own a driving licence.

So with so many people on the council waiting list, 4,500 people, with nearly a third requiring homes urgently, where does one start?

Our council home stock is also being reduced through the right-to-buy scheme, which allows tenants to buy properties at a reduced rate depending on how long they have been a tenant.

I personally would like to see tenants given a sum of money to go out into the private sector and buy a house. Then we would be able to retain that house for people on the waiting list.

Around 30 properties are being sold a year with only 30% of the money from those sales coming back to the council, the other 70% goes to the Government.

So if the council buys a property it has to make up the difference, also if the money is not spent within two years it goes back to the Government with interest.

The council has purchased 57 houses all over East Devon in the last two years but it's very difficult to keep up with the demand from the right-to-buy scheme.

The turnover of council homes is about 250 a year but they are not always in the place with the highest demand, which is Exmouth.

A big percentage of people on the waiting list are looking for single person accommodation, unfortunately developers do not like building these types of home for younger people and young families.

So we have to research other forms of accommodation to give these young people a chance to get on the property ladder.

I think everybody, given a choice, would like their own front door rather than share. Though I do know the council's own shared house scheme has been well received.

Something I've been looking into, with council partners, is modular homes and Mod Boxes. I think we have to be forward thinking and East Devon is leading the way on a lot of these issues. So watch this space.

Written by Exmouth Councillor Pauline Stott. Pauline would like to make it clear these are her own views and not those of East Devon District Council.