Londoners are facing an average of almost 30 years of saving to get on the property ladder in the capital, a housing charity warned today.
Shelter said couples with a child would need to save for 26 years for a deposit for a home, while single buyers face a 29 year wait on average.
A report by the charity laid bare the huge disparity between house prices in London and elsewhere in the UK.
The average time for a couple with a child in England to buy a house is 12 years - less than half the figure in the capital.
Shelter chief executive Campbell Robb said: "For millions of young people home ownership is now just a fantasy, however how hard they work or save."
The report found it would take more than 10 years for a childless couple to save for a home in every single inner London borough.
It was based on an analysis of average wages, house prices, rents and spending on essentials.
Shelter urged the main political parties to commit to a major new programme to build more affordable homes.
Mr Robb added: "The only way to make sure young people have a hope of a home of their own is to build enough truly affordable homes."
