The shortage of affordable housing has led to families living in unfit or crowded accommodation. This can take its toll on children's health as well as their mental well-being and education.
Problems linked to bad housing include:
- Respiratory problems caused by damp and mould
- Diseases such as bronchitis and tuberculosis
- Obesity and dietary problems linked to inadequate cooking facilities and lack of safe outdoor play areas
- Illness from pollution, caused by housing clustered in areas with high levels of transport and/or industry
- Higher rate of accidents
- Poor sleep patterns brought on by families living in close confinement, leading to behaviour problems and educational difficulties
- Stunted physical and mental development because of cramped living conditions
- Problems forming attachment with parents who are experiencing stress or depression brought on by not providing a more suitable home.
Children who live in temporary accommodation also have to deal with the effects of frequently moving home. This can make it difficult for them to get established in school or nursery, which may lead to problems with socialising and forming friendships. Constantly moving can cause a sense of loss and insecurity.
By the seaside
Staff at Sure Start West Clacton and Jaywick in Essex are all too familiar with the problems caused by unsuitable living conditions. 'Poor housing is a real problem in the area,' says operations manager Dawn Saunders. 'Jaywick is on the coast and many of the families live in small chalets along the seafront. Landlords advertise them in London as idyllic places to live outside of the city with cheap rent, but it's a different story when people move in.
'They are wooden, damp and cold. Many are rat-infested; some do not even have electricity or bathrooms. A lot of people use the washing machine and dryer at our centre for a small charge because they do not have the room for the facilities in their homes.
'They are not proper houses - in fact, some do not even have house numbers, which has attracted undesirable people into the area.
'Many cannot get hold of the landlords to report problems. A high percentage of the local people are on housing exchange lists and want to move back to London, but it's a long wait and leads to stress. The poor living conditions cause health problems, such as asthma, and families have lots of pets in the cramped houses and children have allergies.'
But Ms Saunders says that despite all the problems, there is a strong community spirit and many homeowners protest when the council raises plans to rebuild the houses.
Linda Jones, nursery teacher at Seacroft Children's Centre in Leeds, says the centre tries to help families who live in bad conditions to access agencies who can get them re-housed. 'We hear of families sleeping all in one room because it's the only warm room in the house,' she says.
'We are very conscious of the children's well-being and try to be as flexible and sensitive as we can. If children need more sleep, we give them the chance to do that and then they are better learners as a result.'
Overcrowding definition
Housing charity Shelter is calling for the Government to provide more social housing for families on low incomes who are forced to live in poor-quality rented accommodation, or are struggling with mortgage payments and cannot afford the upkeep of their homes. 'Over the past ten years the Government has failed to build social housing like it used to, and the right to buy has reduced the numbers of houses further,' explains a Shelter spokesperson.
'Also, the Government has not updated the standard measure for overcrowding since 1935. Babies do not count as a person and children only count as half a person, therefore a single mother with two children and a baby would count as only needing one bedroom. Issues such as space or privacy are not considered. It is almost Dickensian.
'The Government needs to update the standard, but then more people would officially need social housing and there is not enough. Gordon Brown has pledged to provide more (see box), but it would only start to tackle overcrowding and homelessness. It is a good first step but needs to go further.'
'Homes for the future: more affordable, more sustainable'
The Government's housing green paper, launched in July 2007, promises an £8bn investment in affordable homes. It also pledges:
- Three million new homes to be built by 2020 (two million by 2016)
- A housing grant and infrastructure fund to encourage developments
- Councils to create new local housing companies to use their own land
- £8bn investment towards 45,000 more social homes a year by 2010-2011, plus 25,000 in shared ownership
- Councils to keep full rents from new homes and cash from sales
- Affordable homes in rural areas
- A review of shared equity products for first-time buyers and a new 17.5 per cent government loan for key workers.
