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One in three have suffered health problems during lockdown because of poor housing, survey shows
Poor housing conditions have led to mental or physical health problems for nearly a third of all adults in Britain since lockdown began, according to a new survey.
Results from a YouGov survey of 4,116 people show that a lack of space and poor conditions of homes has caused people to experience stress and depression, lose sleep and take medication for mental health issues.
The survey found that 31% of all adults – or 15.9 million people as a proportion of the country’s population – have suffered from these conditions.
The survey comes as part of the recently launched Homes at the Heart campaign, which calls for major investment in social housing to aid economic and social recovery from coronavirus.
It found that 3.7 million people – 1.6 million of whom are children – are living in overcrowded homes and 30,000 people are spending lockdown in a home that consists of one room.
A total of 62,580 families are living in temporary accommodation – a 13-year high – according to the campaign, which is led by the National Housing Federation (NHF), the Chartered Institute of Housing, Crisis, the Association of Retained Council Housing and the National Federation of ALMOs.
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Polling found that 11% of all British adults said they felt depressed during lockdown due to a lack of space in their home.
A further 5% who said they are lacking space shared that this had led them to seek medical help or to take medication for their mental health, and 19% said it meant they could not get enough sleep.
Kate Henderson, chief executive of the NHF, said: “Inadequate housing and cramped conditions are making lockdown even more unbearable for millions of people right now.
“Homes have been the centre of our lives during the pandemic and as the country starts to reopen, the government must put homes at the heart of the country’s recovery, too.”
John Bibby, chief executive of the Association of Retained Council Housing, said: “Investing in social housing infrastructure will not only help tackle health inequalities but will save the taxpayer money in the long run and provide an immediate economic stimulus as we emerge from the impact of the pandemic.”
The findings follow analysis by Inside Housing on the connection between the housing crisis and COVID-19 deaths and a Public Health England report which found that poor housing conditions exacerbate coronavirus infection, particularly among black and minority ethnic communities.
The Homes at the Heart campaign, which calls for a once-in-a-generation investment in new and existing social housing, has so far been backed by 60 businesses, banks, charities and thinktanks.
