Did you think that when you reached the prime of your life you would own the roof over your head? Think again. Growing numbers of people are stuck in costly privately rented homes as they approach middle age, with no hope of ever buying a house in the future.

As more people retire with the burden of paying rent, there is a bigger risk that more of us will simply run out of money in old age.

You can find out more about how our housing system works and how it affects you, by downloading the new BBC Briefing on housing (11.2MB), and by visiting bbc.co.uk/housing.