a deficiency or lack in the number of houses needed to accommodate the population of an area
Following the Second World War there was an acute housing shortage and local authoritieswere encouraged to build as many houses as possible as quickly as possible.
Examples of 'housing shortage' in a sentence
housing shortage
If anyone is going to ease the acute housing shortage in the next few years, it is the biggest half dozen housebuilding companies.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
But he added: 'We still face an acute housing shortage in this country.
The Sun (2016)
The mayor claims, somewhat implausibly, that empty holiday flats contribute to a housing shortage for locals.