The housing crisis: what will happen if we don’t act?

Our homes are fundamental to our health and wellbeing. Decent and affordable homes must be available for everyone, but right now they’re not.

The lack of a long-term plan for housing has led to the housing crisis we are living through today. The issues we face around housing are systemic. If we don’t act to fix the housing crisis, things will get much worse for people living in England.

We’ve been working with Pragmatix Advisory to understand how bad things could get.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. With long-term political commitment that’s partnered with funding and collaboration across national and local government, housing providers, residents, communities and the private sector, we can begin to imagine a future where everyone in this country has a good quality home that they can afford.

Housing associations stand ready to play their part.

The lack of a long-term plan for housing has led to the housing crisis we are living through today.

What would it look like if we don’t act?

The number of children living in temporary accommodation will rise from 131,000 to 310,000 by 2045.
Social housing waiting lists will grow to 1.8 million households by 2045 – an increase of more than 50%.
By 2045, 5.7 million households will be paying a third of their income on housing costs.
Demand for homes frequently outstrips supply and the cost of construction has increased significantly. These factors, coupled with household costs rising across the board, mean that homelessness is set to accelerate unless a housing plan is introduced. The amount of people experiencing homelessness could more than double, reaching 620,000 by 2045.
There is a shortage of homes suitable for their occupants, whether that’s not having handrails, ramps, stair lifts, adapted bathrooms or a lack of other adjustments. By 2045, around 2.3 million people will be in poorly suited homes and there will be a 350,000 home shortfall of retirement and supported housing.