<b>Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott wants an increase in housing provision in southern England, and the government is being realistic about the scale of the task it faces. But will its policies deliver?</b><br><b>Sustainable Communities: building for the future, published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) last month, is several documents rolled into one. It outlines the ODPM&amp;’s three year budget for the period 2003-04 to 2005-06, expanding on headline totals first announced by the Treasury in its July 2002 Spending Review. The much-quoted figure of &amp;£22 billion is the ODPM&amp;’s total three-year budget for housing and non-housing expenditure. Around 80% is housing, while &amp;£11 billion is for housing investment.</b><br> In addition, Sustainable Communities sets out the Deputy Prime Ministers&amp;’ longer-term &amp;“vision&amp;”. Some of the eye-catching housing numbers picked up by the media relate to the period up to 2016, while others go as far ahead as 2031.<p></p><p> The document is also a report of work in progress. Reforms to strategic planning will take time to implement and there is still a great deal of work to be done on the four southern growth areas and nine Midlands and northern Pathfinder areas. The report is described as an …