A RISE in the number of houseboats across Oxford could help tackle the city’s housing crisis.

Investment into homes along the city’s rivers and canals has been suggested by an Oxford city councillor as a way to help housing supply meet demand.

Green Party leader Craig Simmons said the council should look at building “water based communities” and that Oxford should follow cities such as Paris and Amsterdam in encouraging more houseboats.

He added: “The council should set up more residential moorings and offer services to people that live on boats.

“The council does own a lot of riverside land and it would be one of the many measures to address the housing crisis.

“It’s a good form of housing and the council should be encouraging it rather than discouraging it. We have to be pushing this as it’s got more of an immediate effect.

“The council could buy boats to be rented on the market, just like they rent out houses for tenants.”

A couple who bought a canal boat to avoid paying the extortionate prices of Oxford’s homes said it helped them get a foot on the property ladder.

Lowri David and partner Joe Adkins chose to live on a boat in Wolvercote four years ago because they could not find a house on land that was value for money.

Miss David, 30, loved the city so much that instead of opting to move elsewhere, she decided to get on the property ladder and live on the water for a fraction of the cost.

She said: “We were looking to buy a place in Oxford but found it difficult to find somewhere affordable.

“If you earn under £30,000 a year you will require a magic genie to grant you wishes in order to get a home here.

“One day my other half sent me a text asking about buying a boat to live in and we went for it.

“We got it completely re-done and now it’s amazing.

“It’s half a step on to the property ladder.”

The veterinary practice manager said creating a houseboat was a good way to cope with Oxford’s crippling house prices.

The first-time buyers have a £55,000 mortgage with monthly payments less than the rent for a small flat or single bedroom in the city.

She added: “We tried to look at everything, we found even renting a room was an unreasonable price.

“I love living here, you can feed the ducks from your bedroom window.

“But it is very difficult for first-time buyers. We would not be able to afford anything as close to the city as this.”

Recent figures released by property analysts Hometrack showed Oxford house prices could surge by 10 per cent before the end of the year. The average price of a house in Oxford is £421,933.

Fran Read, from the Canal & River Trust, said there had been an increase in the number of people choosing to live afloat.

There were 913 boats registered during a national boat check in March.