Millions lose sleep over housing worries – Shelter
12:01 AM, 14th January 2025, 1 year ago
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Millions of people in England are struggling with housing insecurity, according to a new study by Shelter.
The charity’s research highlights that two-thirds (67%) of those questioned have struggled with housing challenges in the past year.
It says this translates to nearly 20 million people across the country.
The charity claims that the high cost of housing, including rising rents, is causing a financial burden on many.
The housing emergency is raging
Shelter’s emergency helpline manager, Nadeem Khan, said: “Up and down the country, the housing emergency is raging and as we enter a new year, millions of people are feeling the devastating impact of a lack of genuinely affordable social homes and record high private rents.
“Every day, across our frontline teams, we see and hear about the crippling financial pressures and heart-breaking situations people are facing.
“Parents tell us how they are spending sleepless nights anxious about losing their home and having to move away from their work, communities and children’s schools.”
She added: “At Shelter, we know how vital it is that people seek help for their housing issues as soon as possible.”
Difficulty keeping up with rent
The study by Shelter and HSBC UK, found that more than one-fifth (21%) of participants had difficulty keeping up with rent or mortgage payments.
Also, 10% were concerned about being evicted.
The financial strain is having a negative impact on the mental well-being of many people.
Of those questioned, two-thirds who reported housing problems stated that they experience anxiety.
And nearly half (49%) expressed feelings of hopelessness due to their housing situation.
People facing housing difficulties
Shelter and HSBC UK are now urging people facing housing difficulties to seek help as soon as possible.
The organisations recommend visiting Shelter’s website for advice or contacting their bank for broader financial support.
They say that early intervention can prevent problems from worsening and minimise the negative impact on mental and physical health.
Shelter and HSBC UK are collaborating to provide support for those in immediate need and to create a more secure future for people at risk of housing insecurity.
The partnership wants to expand emergency assistance, developing online resources and providing in-person services throughout the UK.
HSBC UK’s head of vulnerable customer standards, Maxine Pritchard, said: “If you’re feeling worried about your finances or housing situation this new year, you’re not alone – and getting advice and support early can make all the difference.”
Tags:
Eviction, Financial Strain UK Housing, housing costs, housing pressure, HSBC UK, Mental health, Mental Health and Housing Crisis, Rent, Rising Rents in England, Shelter, Shelter Housing Emergency Report, UK Housing Insecurity
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Member Since June 2015 - Comments: 330
9:38 AM, 14th January 2025, About 1 year ago
Shelter mainly talk to people who are in difficulty so not really representative of the population as a whole.
Social rents are so ludicrously cheap Social Housing providers are going bankrupt or can’t afford to maintain their existing stock and certainly can’t afford to buy the “affordable” new builds developers have been forced to build for them. Doesn’t one of the Midlands councils have a policy to sell off any Social house that needs more than £10K spending on it and isn’t Bristol selling 1200 properties it can’t afford to keep?
If Shelter really wanted to help tenants they would campaign for landlords to be treated fairly. Returning us to the tax and regulation we had in the early 2000s would be a good start.
Member Since March 2015 - Comments: 120
10:08 AM, 14th January 2025, About 1 year ago
Are Shelter not aware it’s too late for ‘early intervention’?
The damage is done….they do nothing to offer actual shelter to anyone. Perhaps they could redistribute their income and provide some housing
My mortgage payments are extortionate – the whole housing system is broken.
Member Since March 2023 - Comments: 1506
10:11 AM, 14th January 2025, About 1 year ago
I have no doubt a few thousand landlords also lose sleep over the non paying tenants.
Member Since January 2024 - Comments: 340
10:25 AM, 14th January 2025, About 1 year ago
Damn lies and statistics.
Who were the participants, if they were all contacting Shelter or HSBC because they had financial issues they are hardly a representative sample!
To then extrapolate from a non-representative sample to ’20 million people’ is ridiculous. So, between a third of the country is losing sleep (including under 16s and over 65s, who account for 36% of the population – most of whom would not have mortgages or be renting)!! Shelter are idiots.
Member Since April 2015 - Comments: 468
10:55 AM, 14th January 2025, About 1 year ago
This is all to do with the Government tinkering with the PRS. Had PRS been left as it was with minor tinkering, more people would invest in the PRS & rents would be much lower and there would be much more choice for tenants.
Everyone would be happy and no more sleepless nights for tenants or landlords.
All plain common sense but no this is not good enough for the labour government.
Not good enough for the labour government so they decided to create the “Renters Right Bill” to kill off PRS altogether so they can achieve their goal of total homelessness so they can prove they achieved something.
Member Since March 2023 - Comments: 1506
11:50 AM, 14th January 2025, About 1 year ago
Actually i think it was the Conservatives that started the RRB but with labour now gold plating it
Member Since May 2022 - Comments: 89
12:22 PM, 14th January 2025, About 1 year ago
Tell Shelter to go speak to Angela Rayner…
Angela Rayner claims the Labour government want to work with landlords, but blames Section 21 evictions for having a significant impact on homelessness.
Labour’s own Lambeth Council to evict 200 residents using Section 21,
https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fmoney%2Fproperty%2Flabour-run-council-evicts-200-tenants-cut-housing-waiting%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cf1d78ed4342b4c197d0408dd3490ca36%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638724518648492853%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=UTIQk57lheglZZqExIzH%2F6sn1AIIQCHITkgCVWwhX1k%3D&reserved=0
Member Since July 2013 - Comments: 754
12:25 PM, 14th January 2025, About 1 year ago
What about the LLs losing sleep over difficult tenants who don’t pay, lie, trash the property, force an eviction to court or who could bankrupt them, all because they provided a home for someone?
A problem? Didn’t think so. Shelter and Govt don’t care.
Member Since February 2016 - Comments: 1056
12:39 PM, 14th January 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Ryan Stevens at 14/01/2025 – 10:25
You are so right, this is the usual Shelter ‘research’ where statistics taken from “two-thirds of those who reported housing problems” are extrapolated and applied to the entire population. Never mind, they offer a solution: contact Shelter asap so that they can plead for more public subsidy by showing that their helplines are overwhelmed. Excuse my cynicism born of repeated examination of Shelter ‘research’ press releases over many years. At least this latest one goes easy on the vilification of private landlords compared to many previous statements.
Member Since January 2015 - Comments: 1431 - Articles: 1
3:23 PM, 14th January 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by GlanACC at 14/01/2025 – 10:11
Only too true and about their properties being trashed as well as being liable for the life style of their tenants eg condensation causing mould causing damage to the fabric of the property AND being fined/taken to court by LAs