In the absence of this legislation planning permission for an estimated 44,000 houses would have ceased on the last day of this year and more than 30,000 would have had their permissions expire in 2003. The housing market is already in a difficult state, but if this preventive action was not taken, it would have been plunged into crisis. Under the proposed amendment to Part V of the 2000 Act, concerned with social and affordable housing, developers will have the option of meeting the 20% social housing requirement through alternative sites, houses and lands or through the payment of an equivalent amount to a local authority. This will allow for easier compliance with the Act.