BABY boomers are blocking ways of solving the housing crisis facing the young because they ‘live in another world’, Sajid Javid said yesterday.

Older people oppose development projects and unfairly accuse millennials of spending on ‘nights out and smashed avocados’ instead of saving for deposits, the communities secretary claimed. He said boomers ‘who have long since paid off their own mortgage’ are ‘not facing up to the reality of modern life’.

‘Without affordable, secure, safe housing we risk creating a rootless generation,’ said the MP (pictured).

‘The young don’t want the world handed to them on a plate. Building the homes that we need does not mean ruining vast tracts of beautiful countryside.

‘It just means working with local communities and finding the right sites on which to do so.’

Figures released yesterday showed 217,000 homes were completed last year — up 27,000 on 2015.

But charity Shelter warned that the proportion of new properties within the reach of young househunters had fallen to one fifth.

Mr Javid’s latest comments come after he urged Philip Hammond last week to borrow up to £50billion to fund new housing.

The chancellor hit back by saying there is no ‘silver bullet’ to solve the crisis. But Mr Javid insisted yesterday: ‘This is a big problem and we have to think big.’

He announced housing associations will be reclassified as private organisations, wiping £70billion of debt off the government’s balance sheet and making it easier for them to borrow to build.

Labour dismissed it as ‘creative accounting’ and responded to the rise in new homes by saying house-building was still at its lowest level since the 1920s. Shadow housing minister John Healey said: ‘Any increase in new housing is welcome but in any other area of public policy this record of failure would be cause for resignation, not celebration.’

Shelter said house-building was ‘woefully short’ of what was needed, despite the figures being the highest since the 2008 crash.

The charity said half of new homes should be ‘affordable’ — with mortgage payments accounting for no more than a third of a typical first-time buyer’s monthly income.

‘The numbers are well short of the government’s targets,’ said boss Polly Neate. ‘In the upcoming budget, sticking plasters will not be enough.’