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Touted as a stepping stone to getting on the property ladder, shared ownership was designed to be one answer to a tough housing market.

"We had none of the rights of homeowners, and all the obligations of renters," said Diana, who together with her husband Chris, bought a shared ownership property in east London in February 2020.

Shared ownership schemes involve purchasing a share of a property and paying rent on the rest.

They said they had to try to sell through what is known as a nomination period during which the housing association or landlord has the exclusive right to find a buyer for the shared ownership home.

There are currently about 250,000 shared ownership households in England, according to figures.