Britain's housing crisis is "driving a geographical wedge between generations", according to the Intergenerational Foundation (IF).

A report by the charity, which was founded to protect the rights of younger people, says there is an increased "economic" segregation between the older and younger generations as a result of the housing crisis in the UK.

More from IBTimes UK

Angus Hanton, IF's co-founder told The Guardian: "Just 5% of the people living in the same neighbourhood as someone under 18 are over 65, compared to 15% in 1991. This is hugely damaging to intergenerational relations. It weakens the bonds between the generations, and leads to a lack of understanding of, and empathy for, other generations."

Young people are more likely to move to cities because of the better job prospects and the bustling nightlife. Whereas older generations are more likely to live in the suburbs and further away from cities.

Nigel Wilson, chief executive of Legal & General, which supported the research, said: "We have created an intergenerationally unfair society. We need to take bold steps to reverse the negative trends of the last 30 years.

"This will involve not only an increase in housing supply of 100,000 a year for all tenures but also a step up in investment in modern infrastructure and modern industries to create the jobs of the future."

The study argues that the "geographic wedge" has been created as a result of the problems facing the housing market, as first-time buyers face high prices.

Although Generation Rent – people under 40 who want to buy property but cannot afford to – has seen a 52% rise in their pay, housing prices have increased by 132%.

Research carried out by City AM states that 7.2 million people will be renting in 2025 and that 5.2 million currently rent.

According to IF, 46% of young people aged 25-34 believe that they will be tenants all their lives. Cardiff is the city with the largest gap, as it has also attracted a large number of young renters.

The Department for Communities and Local Government told the BBC: "Building the homes that communities need is an absolute priority for the government and we have delivered nearly 900,000 since the end of 2009.

"We've also set out the largest house building programme since the 1970s, doubling the housing budget so we can build a million extra homes."

In July 2015, a study revealed that a quarter of households will be privately rented by 2025.