Back in 1999 our ‘unhelpful’ observation on housing targets was that they included a circular equation. Housing targets based on population growth led to more housebuilding and to… population growth. The 2004 Planning Act introduced Regional Spatial Strategies that took on the responsibility to do this and to set housing targets. Instead, each council was charged with preparing their Objectively Assessed Need (OAN), as if there was ever anything objective about housing targets. Areas with high house prices see their housing targets increased, based on the logic that high prices are an indicator of constrained supply.