Exclusive: Shelter poll shows housing crisis is causing hardship even for those with jobs. Nearly two-thirds of workers living in private rented housing struggle to pay their rent, according to a poll that shows how England’s housing crisis is causing financial hardship even for those with jobs.
Only 32% of workers said they were able to keep up on their rent payments without difficulty, the poll by YouGov for Shelter shows, with 40% sometimes struggling and 23% constantly struggling. Three per cent of workers say they are falling behind on their payments, in line with recent government figures which show 5% are or have previously been in arrears.
The figures come amid a concerted push from businesses, unions and charities to persuade the UK chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to commit billions of pounds to social housing in next year’s spending review. They argue that building more low-cost rented housing would help alleviate the demand pressures in the private sector, which experts say are pushing prices higher.
Twenty-three directors, chief executives and general executives have signed a letter to Reeves asking her to spend enough to build 90,000 new social rented housing each year during the parliament, at a cost of up to £11.5bn. They include Peter Jelkeby, the chief executive of Ikea UK, Polly Neate, the chief executive of Shelter, and Sharon Graham, the general secretary of the Unite union.
The letter, which the Guardian has seen, says: “As businesses, trade unions and third sector organisations, we have come together to express our concern about the devastating impact the chronic shortage of social housing is having on our society, our businesses, and our workforce and productivity.
