Children’s bedding becoming moldy because parents can’t afford to turn on the heating is one of the problems that has prompted a new campaign aimed at tackling the millions of dangerous homes in England.
The campaign has been launched by a group of charities, calling for the number of what they have called “dangerous homes” to be halved over the next decade.
There are currently eight million people living in 3.7 million properties that charities classify as “dangerous homes”, according to official data. Housing Survey in English data.
The charities defined a house as dangerous if it is cold and cannot be heated, needs repair or presents a serious danger.
Repairs are often too expensive to carry out, putting the health of residents at risk, including children who face damp and mold.
The campaign has been launched by a group of charities calling for the number of dangerous homes to be halved.
Campaigners said they were referring to “dangerous homes” as they believe the softer official term “non-decent homes” is one of the reasons this issue has been overlooked for so long.
The Safe Homes Now campaign has been launched by nine charities including St John’s Ambulance, Race Equality Foundation and The Runnymede Trust.
Together, the charities are calling on the Government to improve the quality of the country’s worst homes and, in turn, the health of those who live in them.
The campaign carried out a survey of 2,098 people living in a mix of property tenures, including social housing, private rented and privately owned homes.
It found that a total of 54 per cent of people say it has become more difficult to keep their home warm over the last two years.
Many people have struggled to pay their energy bills along with other household expenses during the cost of living crisis.
At the same time, 39 percent say it has become more difficult to keep their home in good repair.
And one in four people say it has become more difficult to keep their home free of hazards and defects over the past two years.
A total of 54 percent of people say that over the past two years it has become more difficult to keep their home warm.
Dr Carole Easton of the Center for Aging Better said: “No one should have to live in a dangerous home that harms their health or that of their family.”
‘Poor quality housing is seriously damaging the health of millions of children, adults and pensioners, generating huge health costs and putting enormous pressure on health services.
Poor quality housing is seriously damaging the health of millions of children, adults and pensioners, generating huge health costs and putting enormous pressure on health services.
‘Building new homes will not adequately solve the problem because four out of every five homes that will exist in 2050 have already been built.
“It is shocking that there is virtually no consideration of how we are going to address the quality of our homes and avoid inflicting further damage to the nation’s health.”
‘As our survey shows, being able to afford home improvement work is a significant barrier, but it is not the only problem we need to overcome. People don’t know who to trust or where to get advice on what to do to make their homes safe.
‘With greater policy priority and adequate resources, we could fix all the unsafe homes in this country and help ensure that everyone has the opportunity to live longer, healthier lives.
‘As our survey shows, being able to afford home improvement work is a significant barrier, but it is not the only problem we need to overcome. People don’t know who to trust or where to get advice on what to do to make their homes safe.
“With greater policy priority and adequate resources, we could fix every unsafe home in this country and help ensure that everyone has the opportunity to live longer, healthier lives.”
Many people have struggled to pay their energy bills during the cost of living crisis.
For the first time since 2016, data from the Center for Aging Better found that the number of non-decent owner-occupied homes has increased, with 2.2 million homes now defined as unsafe.
This represents double the number of unworthy homes in the private rental sector.
A total of 21 per cent in the private rented sector do not meet the decent housing standard, compared to 14 per cent in the owner-occupied sector and 10 per cent of social rented housing.
Up to 14.4 per cent of homes built between 1981 and 1990 are now classified as non-decent. This is a higher proportion than post-war houses, built between 1945 and 1964, which are almost twice as old.
And 31.6 percent of homes built before 1919 now pose a health risk to their residents.
…in the last 12 months, more than 200,000 families have seen their children’s bed or bedding become moldy because they couldn’t afford to turn on the heating
Lynn Perry, of Barnardo’s, said: ‘Growing up in a cold, damp and unsafe home can have a huge and lasting impact on a child’s life.
‘Our own research showed that in the last 12 months, more than 200,000 families had seen their children’s bed or bedding become moldy because they couldn’t afford to turn on the heating.
‘This can’t be right. We need the commitment of all political parties to ensure that every child grows up in a safe home.’
The survey found that 57 percent of those who had needed repairs to their homes in the past two years but had not been able to do so cited the work as too expensive.
Another 19 percent said they couldn’t find the right person for the job.
Henry Gregg, of Asthma + Lung UK, said: “No one should have to live in a home that harms their health,
‘We know that respiratory infections can thrive in colder temperatures and in humid, poorly ventilated environments. Prolonged exposure to colder temperatures, humidity, and mold can also affect the immune response, hampering the body’s ability to fight respiratory infections.
“This is one of the reasons why we are joining the campaign so that no one in England has to live in a house that damages their health and limits their life.”