Facing Housing Crisis, Saudi Arabia Sets Up Ministry
REUTERS AFRICA: RIYADH - Saudi Arabia has set up a ministry for housing, the kingdom's state news agency said on Friday, as the world's largest oil exporter seeks to address huge demand for new homes.

The Gulf nation is facing a massive housing problem due to rapid population growth and an inflow of expatriate workers coming to the kingdom. » | Reporting by Jason Benham; Editing by Elizabeth Fullerton | Friday, March 25, 2011

Riots over Housing in Algeria
Mar 23 - Riots over housing erupt in Algeria as attempts to create a nationwide opposition movement appear to have lost momentum. Deborah Lutterbeck reports

Immigrants Take Four out of Ten Homes Built in Past Ten Years of NuLabour Rule
DAILY MAIL: Four in ten homes built over the past ten years have been needed because of immigration, figures have revealed.

Nearly 600,000 properties have had to be constructed because of the new arrivals since Labour came to power in 1997, said researchers at the House of Commons Library.

This is three times more than the number of homes needed for immigrants under the last Conservative government.

The library, a team of independent researchers who carry out work for MPs, said an average of 19,000 immigrant households a year were established between 1992 and 1997.

But the figure has since soared to 66,000 a year, which has helped to price many British first-time buyers out of the market.

Between 1997 and 2005, the latest period for which figures are available, 592,000 houses were needed solely for immigrants. Immigrants have taken four in ten homes since 1997 (more) By James Slack

Mark Alexander