A recent report by the Resolution Foundation reveals that 2.6 million people aged 18-34, or one-in-six young individuals, live in poor quality housing in the UK, causing a negative impact on their physical and mental health.
The study, entitled Trying Times, was supported by the Health Foundation and used data from a YouGov survey of 10,122 adults.
Renters are found to be most likely to fall behind on housing costs, with 15% of social renters and 10% of private renters facing difficulties.
In contrast, only 4% of mortgagors experience such issues. However, this figure may change as over a million mortgagor households switch to more expensive fixed-rate deals throughout the year.
The research indicates that poor quality housing affects 6.5 million people or one-in-ten individuals in the UK.
This type of housing is characterised by subpar conditions, such as faulty heating, electrics, or plumbing, and the presence of damp.
The problem is concentrated among young people, low-income families, and ethnic minority backgrounds, with 18% of those aged 18-34 living in such conditions.
The study also highlights the association between poor quality housing and poor health, with those living in substandard conditions twice as likely to experience health issues (22%) compared to others (11%).
The analysis shows that even after accounting for various factors, living in poor quality housing is associated with poor general health (9% vs 5%) and poor mental health (16% vs 10%).
The Resolution Foundation urges policymakers to address the dual housing crises of high costs and poor quality, emphasising the need for building more affordable housing and improving existing housing stock standards.
Failure to address these issues may not only impact families’ finances but also have wider consequences on public services like the NHS.
Lalitha Try, economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: “The UK is blighted by two housing crises. High housing costs are causing many renters in particular to fall behind on housing payments, while poor quality housing is leaving millions of people having to deal with damp and malfunctioning heating, plumbing and electrics.
“High costs and poor housing quality can make life miserable for people, and can damage both their personal finances and their wider health. It is critical that policymakers tackle both of these crises – by building new affordable housing, and improving the quality of the housing stock we already have.”
