We contacted all of the candidates vying for your vote to be the next MP for the Wells and Mendip Hills constituency, asking each of them the same questions. We've taken their responses exactly as they were sent to us - so you know where each of the candidates stand, to help you decide who to vote for.

Here's their responses to the question:

What is your stance on affordable housing, and how do you plan to tackle the housing crisis in our community?

Meg Powell-Chandler - Conservative:

"We need to build more houses in the places people want them. We will do more to boost the availability of affordable housing for local people in rural areas. The Conservatives are committed to renewing the Affordable Housing Programme – which has seen almost 700,000 affordable homes delivered since 2010. We will also ensure rural exception sites support local people into home ownership and create a dedicated taskforce in Homes England to deliver on the mission set out in their Rural Housing Statement to invest in regeneration and building high-quality homes."

Craig Clarke - Independent:

"I will ask all councils in the constituency to BLOCK ALL new large developers building homes until:

• One new community hospital is open and treating patients
• One new secondary school is open and teaching our children.
• When all constituency residents who wish are able to get to see a dentist.
• All potholes in roads in constituency are filled. They are dangerous."

Helen Hims - Reform UK:

"The UK population has grown by over 1.3 million in just two years, yet only 425,000 homes have been built. This has obviously put huge pressure on housing. Mass immigration is the primary factor behind this demand, but damaged housing supply and overly bureaucratic planning regulations also add huge costs and delays.

Reform UK will fast track planning for brownfield sites and review the planning system.

We will prioritise local people and those who have paid into the system for social housing. Foreign nationals must go to the back of the queue, not the front.

We will incentivise the use of new construction technology such as modular construction and smart infrastructure.

We will abolish the Renter's (Reform) Bill and add protections for local leaseholders."

Abi McGuire - Independent:

"Housing is now unaffordable for first time buyers. Private rentals have increased dramatically and the demand for social housing far exceeds supply. There are hundreds of households in Somerset in temporary accommodation and more than 10,000 people on the housing register. Young people can now neither afford to buy or rent a property. With a background in housing, this is an area I am passionate about. I will work alongside local government to ensure the needs of our communities are met in the best possible way."

Tessa Munt - Liberal Democrat:

"There's not enough high-quality, affordable housing in the areas where people need it. We would build 380,000 homes a year across the UK, 150,000 of these would be social housing.

We'd give more powers to local communities to make decisions around the needs of their area – where and what type of homes are built.

We'd introduce 'use it or lose it' planning for large developers who get permission but then don't build - in their attempt to control housing prices.

We'd support renters by immediately banning no-fault evictions and making three-year tenancies the default, with rent increases capped at the rate of inflation during that three-year period.

Every new home should be to high environmental standards, so that they are really inexpensive to run."

Joe Joseph - Labour and Co-op:

"First, we need to reform the planning system which will allow Labour to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years. We will prioritise building on brownfield and then grey-field sites, rather than the green-belt. We will give first-time buyers access to a mortgage guarantee scheme, and we'll work with local authorities to ensure that first-time buyers can buy homes in their community. We'll fund more planning officers but, just as importantly, we'll ensure that house building is supported by proper infrastructure. This means not waiting for years on end, like we are in Wells, for a new primary school to be built."

Peter Welsh- Green Party:

No response was received.

How will you ensure that new developments are sustainable and benefit local residents?

Meg Powell-Chandler - Conservative: "We need to make sure Somerset and North Somerset Councils use the new Infrastructure Levy to deliver the GP surgeries, roads and other local infrastructure needed to support homes. These funds should not be able to be spent on community projects that bear no relation to support for new homes."

Craig Clarke - Independent: "I will ask all councils in the constituency to BLOCK ALL new large developers building homes until:

• One new community hospital is open and treating patients
• One new secondary school is open and teaching our children.
• When all constituency residents who wish are able to get to see a dentist.
• All potholes in roads in constituency are filled. They are dangerous."

Helen Hims - Reform UK: "We will prioritise local people and those who have paid into the system for social housing. Foreign nationals must go to the back of the queue, not the front.

We will incentivise the use of new construction technology such as modular construction and smart infrastructure."

Abi McGuire - Independent: "I will work alongside the local authority, developers, and our communities to ensure best outcomes for new developments. This includes the protection of our environment, consideration to flooding and the development of supporting infrastructure to meet the needs of our growing communities."

Tessa Munt - Lib Dem: "We'd strengthen planning laws to make sure new homes are built to high environmental and quality standards and prevent building projects that don't invest in the community infrastructure needed to support them.

We'd make sure that the sale of any public assets must show the public benefit.

We'd give more powers to local communities to decide what they need.

We'd also prevent new developments where they can increase flooding."

Joe Joseph - Labour and Co-op: "We need to reform the planning system to ensure new developments are sustainable and benefit local residents. This includes prioritising brownfield and grey-field sites, ensuring proper infrastructure is in place, and supporting first-time buyers."

Peter Welsh- Green Party:

No response was received.