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| Shelter: More than four in 10 homes fail acceptable standards | Shelter: More than four in 10 homes fail acceptable standards |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| More than four in 10 homes in Britain do not reach acceptable standards in areas such as cleanliness, safety and space, housing charity Shelter says. | More than four in 10 homes in Britain do not reach acceptable standards in areas such as cleanliness, safety and space, housing charity Shelter says. |
| Shelter's Living Home Standard covers affordability, decent conditions, stability, space and neighbourhood. | Shelter's Living Home Standard covers affordability, decent conditions, stability, space and neighbourhood. |
| It said affordability was the biggest problem, and people should "live and thrive" in homes, not just "get by". | It said affordability was the biggest problem, and people should "live and thrive" in homes, not just "get by". |
| The government said housing was an absolute priority and its affordable housing budget was doubling. | The government said housing was an absolute priority and its affordable housing budget was doubling. |
| Shelter and Ipsos MORI developed the Living Home Standard through a series of workshops and surveys with the public, with support from British Gas. | Shelter and Ipsos MORI developed the Living Home Standard through a series of workshops and surveys with the public, with support from British Gas. |
| The measurement of homes meeting the standard was calculated based on results from a survey of 1,961 adults across Britain. | |
| Each of the five elements in the standard is measured according to certain criteria - for example, the essentials of "space" include having sufficient bedrooms for the household and space for the whole household to spend time together in the same room. | Each of the five elements in the standard is measured according to certain criteria - for example, the essentials of "space" include having sufficient bedrooms for the household and space for the whole household to spend time together in the same room. |
| Other aspects included having outdoor space, and enough space for children to study and adults to work. | Other aspects included having outdoor space, and enough space for children to study and adults to work. |
| The Living Home Standard is different to the government's Decent Homes Standard introduced in 2005. | The Living Home Standard is different to the government's Decent Homes Standard introduced in 2005. |
| 'I don't want to die here' | 'I don't want to die here' |
| Pensioners Ian and Esmee Woolcomb, aged 62 and 72, have lived in their cramped one-bedroom flat in Bristol for 10 years. | Pensioners Ian and Esmee Woolcomb, aged 62 and 72, have lived in their cramped one-bedroom flat in Bristol for 10 years. |
| Their home fails three of the five Shelter standards and it has no living room. | Their home fails three of the five Shelter standards and it has no living room. |
| Ian says the flat is "dark and damp" and "gets cold quickly, so we have to put the heating on quite often". | Ian says the flat is "dark and damp" and "gets cold quickly, so we have to put the heating on quite often". |
| They are desperate to move and have written several letters to the council with no success. | They are desperate to move and have written several letters to the council with no success. |
| "I was quite hopeful at first but now I'm thinking 'Oh my God. I don't want to die here,'" Esmee said. | "I was quite hopeful at first but now I'm thinking 'Oh my God. I don't want to die here,'" Esmee said. |
| "I get very depressed about it when I think about it." | "I get very depressed about it when I think about it." |
| 'It's degrading' | 'It's degrading' |
| Office worker Claire Miles lives in her mother Leeza's house in Harefield, Middlesex - which she also shares with her two young sons, her brother Alan and her mum's partner, Jim. | Office worker Claire Miles lives in her mother Leeza's house in Harefield, Middlesex - which she also shares with her two young sons, her brother Alan and her mum's partner, Jim. |
| Every night Claire and her sons, aged one and four, have to sleep on the living room floor. | Every night Claire and her sons, aged one and four, have to sleep on the living room floor. |
| She said: "It would be nice to have a bit of privacy, some self-respect, because I just feel like we get really low. It's degrading." | She said: "It would be nice to have a bit of privacy, some self-respect, because I just feel like we get really low. It's degrading." |
| Claire grew up in the area but is disqualified from applying for council housing because she spent a couple of years living at a friend's house just outside the borough. | Claire grew up in the area but is disqualified from applying for council housing because she spent a couple of years living at a friend's house just outside the borough. |
| She says renting privately is too expensive. "It's a lot of money - six months' rent up front, when you think it's £1,300 a month for rent. | She says renting privately is too expensive. "It's a lot of money - six months' rent up front, when you think it's £1,300 a month for rent. |
| "Now the landlords have changed the rules anyway and said no-one wants tenants with housing benefit, but I would need part housing benefit to help me pay for it." | "Now the landlords have changed the rules anyway and said no-one wants tenants with housing benefit, but I would need part housing benefit to help me pay for it." |
| The five elements | |
| 'Cutting back on food' | 'Cutting back on food' |
| Shelter's survey suggested that, overall, 43% of homes in Britain did not meet at least part of its standard. | Shelter's survey suggested that, overall, 43% of homes in Britain did not meet at least part of its standard. |
| Of the five criteria, affordability was consistently rated as the most important aspect of an acceptable home and 27% of homes failed at least one of the affordability specifications. | Of the five criteria, affordability was consistently rated as the most important aspect of an acceptable home and 27% of homes failed at least one of the affordability specifications. |
| Shelter said 24% of people were not able to save anything for unexpected costs after meeting their rent or mortgage, and 23% worried that their rent or mortgage charges might become difficult to pay if they rose. | Shelter said 24% of people were not able to save anything for unexpected costs after meeting their rent or mortgage, and 23% worried that their rent or mortgage charges might become difficult to pay if they rose. |
| A further 18% of people could not meet their housing costs without regularly cutting back on essentials like food or heating, and 20% could not do this without missing out on social activities, the charity said. | A further 18% of people could not meet their housing costs without regularly cutting back on essentials like food or heating, and 20% could not do this without missing out on social activities, the charity said. |
| Nearly one in five, or 18%, of homes failed the criteria for decent conditions, with renters twice as likely as homeowners to live in places which fail on this element of the standard. | Nearly one in five, or 18%, of homes failed the criteria for decent conditions, with renters twice as likely as homeowners to live in places which fail on this element of the standard. |
| Looking at the other parts of the Living Home Standard, more than one in 10 people lived in homes which failed criteria for space. | Looking at the other parts of the Living Home Standard, more than one in 10 people lived in homes which failed criteria for space. |
| Renters in social housing fared particularly badly on space, with one in five living in homes with inadequate space. | Renters in social housing fared particularly badly on space, with one in five living in homes with inadequate space. |
| On stability, one in four private renters felt they did not have enough control over how long they could stay in their home. | On stability, one in four private renters felt they did not have enough control over how long they could stay in their home. |
| Shelter has called for stable rental contracts that last for five years and protect tenants against unaffordable rent increases. | Shelter has called for stable rental contracts that last for five years and protect tenants against unaffordable rent increases. |
| 'Absolute priority' | 'Absolute priority' |
| Shelter chief executive Campbell Robb said: "It's heart-breaking to think that so many people are having to make a choice between paying the rent and putting food on the table, or living in fear that any drop in income would leave them unable to cover their housing costs. | Shelter chief executive Campbell Robb said: "It's heart-breaking to think that so many people are having to make a choice between paying the rent and putting food on the table, or living in fear that any drop in income would leave them unable to cover their housing costs. |
| "The sad truth is that far too many people in Britain right now are living in homes that just aren't up to scratch - from the thousands of families forced to cope with poor conditions, to a generation of renters forking out most of their income on housing each month and unable to save for the future." | "The sad truth is that far too many people in Britain right now are living in homes that just aren't up to scratch - from the thousands of families forced to cope with poor conditions, to a generation of renters forking out most of their income on housing each month and unable to save for the future." |
| He called on the government, business and other charities to work with the organisation to increase the number of homes that meet the Living Home Standard. | He called on the government, business and other charities to work with the organisation to increase the number of homes that meet the Living Home Standard. |
| A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said: "Good quality housing is an absolute priority for this government and more than a million sub-standard properties have been brought up to standard since 2010. | A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said: "Good quality housing is an absolute priority for this government and more than a million sub-standard properties have been brought up to standard since 2010. |
| "We've also set out the most ambitious vision for housing in a generation, doubling the affordable housing budget to £8bn to deliver 400,000 more quality homes," he added. | "We've also set out the most ambitious vision for housing in a generation, doubling the affordable housing budget to £8bn to deliver 400,000 more quality homes," he added. |
| What's your experience of housing? Do you recognise the problems highlighted by Shelter? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experiences. | What's your experience of housing? Do you recognise the problems highlighted by Shelter? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experiences. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |