A YOUNG father has launched a fundraising initiative after growing increasingly frustrated at the "dire" housing shortage in west Dorset.

Sam Toms, 22, from Beaminster, has set up the Kickstarter non-profit scheme designed to help first-time buyers get onto the property ladder after struggling to buy a house in the area with his wife Amy and son Arlow.

The site would allow fundraisers the opportunity to enter into a shared-ownership scheme with first time buyers - but people donating will get their money back if full funding is not reached.

Sam said: "There are no strings attached where you tie yourself into something.

"A lot of people in Bridport and west Dorset are in a similar position where they cannot buy, but I think it's part of a national issue of affordable housing. The big problem seems to be that homes are simply just not affordable at all.

"My end goal would be to stop people buying these two-bedroom homes for retirement.

"It just stops young people being able to get onto the housing ladder. A lot of the houses in Bridport are also bought for people to rent out which pushes prices up."

First time buyers would post properties on the site that they wish to buy, with donations sought to cover up to half of the cost. The buyer will then organise the sale, before paying back a monthly rent of between three and five percent to whoever donated the money, along with their mortgage.

Sam struggled to put a deposit together to buy a property and felt like a 'cash cow' with so many hidden costs.

"Young people should be really upset about this - but no-one communicates and no-one complains," he said. "If the government was changing pensions, there would be a campaign - but we don't seem to speak up.

"Young people seem to be getting the raw end of the deal on everything at the moment.

"Hopefully, we can establish a community of people who want to make a difference."

The National Housing Federation has warned that a 'dire lack of affordable homes' in west Dorset is pricing young people out of the property market, which could lead to 'countryside pensioner pockets'.

New research shows the number of pensioners is set to soar across England’s rural communities by 2021, as younger generations can’t get a foot on the local property ladder. In west Dorset, 42.6 percent of households will be headed by those over the age of 65 by 2021.

David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said: “Our idealistic view of the English countryside is fast becoming extinct.

"Workers and families aspiring to live, work and grow up in the countryside can’t find homes they can afford. If we don’t build more homes, these places will become pensioner pockets rather than the thriving, working communities they can be.

“All it would take to deal with the acute housing crisis in rural areas is a handful of high quality, affordable new homes in our villages or market towns."

To take part in the first time buyers crowdfunding project, please visit kck.st/1CMZEDD or email modernoozedesign@gmail.com