How many of your issues would disappear if you lived in a secure, well-connected, energy-efficient home – spacious, affordable, surrounded by green spaces with your loved ones nearby?
Image credit: Greater London Authority
Unfortunately, this may seem like an unattainable dream for many, and that is precisely the problem. Happy housing should be treated as a fundamental human right, not a privileged asset for the few.
Housing is centric to pretty much everything, from shaping our society, economy, psychology, family, debt, work, what unites us and what divides us. Works in Progress’ housing theory emphasises how housing influences everything in your life; where you work, how you spend time off, who your friends and neighbours are, how many kids you can have and when, and even how often you get sick.
The issue is, that land is finite and has limited supply, but the problems housing can seem infinite.
A Global Crisis
Can you think of any countries that don’t seem to have some housing issues? Globally, the housing crisis has reached epidemic proportions.
In Europe, many countries struggle with high costs, housing shortages and overcrowding. In Africa, the continent fails to receive global recognition for the low affordability, underdeveloped mortgage markets and the impact of climate change on housing. Asia is facing increased homelessness, insecurity and economic instability due to the housing crisis. The United States is dealing with record-high home prices, renters are struggling more than homeowners while hundreds of thousands are homeless. In Latin America and the Caribbean, 104 million people lack adequate housing, with millions living in overcrowded conditions.
The global housing crisis remains a persistent and growing issue, with many countries facing severe shortages, affordability issues, and deteriorating living conditions.
The UK’s Housing Crisis
Image credit: Inside Housing
The UK housing crisis began in the 1980s and has only worsened over time. In the 1970s, the average price for a property in the UK was £4,057. Today, that figure has skyrocketed to £299,000 in England.
In the 1980s, the number of council homes in Britain drastically declined. The 1988 Housing Act reduced rent regulation, which enabled the landlord to set any price they desired. Things only seemed to get more bleak with a dramatic decline in council housing, the 1988 Housing Act which reduced rent regulation, the COVID-19 pandemic, and economic hardships in 2008 and 2021 (The Guardian, 2021).
Wages have remained stagnant during this period, whilst the cost-of-living crisis has risen sharply, leaving young people especially vulnerable. It’s estimated that a third of them will rent for life, unable to afford the stability of homeownership.
It is alarmingly normalised to live in a poor-quality rental property which hasn’t had any refurbishment since the 1990s and has increasing health risks of dampness and mould to only be informed that the landlord will increase the rent by a couple of hundred quid next month. And if you can’t afford that, somebody else will.
The rental market desperately needs transformative and structural change. For the expensive amounts that renters pay, they have very few rights and protections. The average rent increased 9% in the past year alone, the largest annual rise since records began.
Whilst the Renters Reform Bill promises to address issues based on record-level evictions, rising rent rates, low housing standards and other issues, it has yet to be implemented. The urgency cannot be overstated – millions of renters are in the depths of the housing crisis and cannot afford to wait any longer.
The human cost of the crisis
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Our culture, communities and generations are shifting. The rapid gentrification in London; places like Hackney, Peckham, Brixton, Canning Town, Stratford, Elephant and Castle, Tooting and other diverse neighbourhoods with a strong presence of Black and Minortised Ethnic communities who are being pushed out of their homes and displaced.
Gentrification whispers that if Black and Minoritised Ethnic communities lack the cultural capital to afford to remain in their local areas, they are left feeling alienated, detached, and unwelcome, perpetuating racialised practices of housing.
Generational shifts are also evident in housing. In 1997, most 18–34-year-olds lived in couples with children. By 2021, the majority of young adults were living with their parents due to economic reasons including high costs, childcare and student debt. This trend contributes to the declining birth rate, as many cannot afford to start families without stable housing.
Housing is a human right
Image credit: British School of Coaching
The emotional, mental and physical health elements of living in a secure and healthy home are foundational to our world. Housing should not be a privilege; it must be recognised as a basic human right. Addressing this crisis requires urgent and radical action.
Building more homes in the UK is a start, but we must also reform the housing and rental sectors to address systemic inequalities.
Homelessness among the African Caribbean population has risen two and a half times as fast since 1997 compared to the general population. British Bangladeshi households are 12 times more likely to face overcrowded conditions in comparison to white British households. 63% of all private renters in a 2022 Generation Rent survey stated that treatment from their landlord or letting agent had worsened their mental health. Crucially, implementing the recommendations of the Grenfell Inquiry is crucial to prevent future tragedies, and specific protections must be established for vulnerable populations, including disabled residents in high-rise buildings who are still at high risk.
For decades, families across generations have suffered due to the deep-rooted housing crisis in Britain. However, this situation can change. By prioritising housing as a fundamental human right and implementing transformative reforms in the housing sector, we can create a more just and equitable society for all.
In our letter to the new government, V4CE advocates for building more energy-efficient homes and regulation and oversight of the private rental sector – see more here.
Christabelle Quaynor,
Policy and Influence Officer
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