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One in seven people in England ‘hit by the housing crisis’
More than eight million people in England – around one in seven – are living in an unaffordable, insecure or unsuitable home, according to a new report from the National Housing Federation (NHF).
The report – the first time a ‘state of the nation’ study of the housing crisis has been undertaken – found that 8.4 million people from across generations and in all parts of the country are facing a wide range of issues, from homelessness and serious debt to overcrowding and ill health.
As a result, many children are missing out on a fair start in life.
The research captures exactly how many people are hit by different aspects of the housing crisis, including high house prices and rents, unsuitable or poor-quality homes, and the overall shortage of new homes.
It reveals that more than 3.6 million people are living in overcrowded homes, while 2.5 million can’t afford their rent or mortgage. Another 2.5 million adults are stuck living with parents, an ex-partner or friends because they can’t afford to move out.
Around 1.7 million people live in unsuitable housing, including older people and people with physical disabilities stuck in homes they can’t get around or families in inappropriate properties, such as those that have no outside space.
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The NHF found that more people in the North of England struggle to afford their rent, while people in the South are more likely to face overcrowding or are living with their parents because they can’t afford to move out.
Around 3.6 million people, almost half (43%) of those in need, can only afford to live decently if they are in social housing – a figure almost double the number of people on the government’s official waiting list.
Kate Henderson, chief executive at the NHF, said the housing crisis is “the single biggest domestic issue we face”.
She added: “From Cornwall to Cumbria, millions of people are being pushed into debt and poverty because rent is too expensive, children can’t study because they have no space in their overcrowded homes, and many older or disabled people are struggling to move around their own home because it’s unsuitable.”
She called for a return to “proper funding” for social housing, at levels last seen in under Winston Churchill’s government.
“This crisis cannot be solved by tweaks around the edges of the housing market,” she said.
