Do you live in one of Britain’s dangerous homes? Campaigners call for unfit properties to be halved

• Eight million people are living in 3.7 million dangerous properties
• Homes are seen as dangerous if they are cold, need repairs or have hazards

Children’s bedding that becomes mouldy because parents can’t afford to put the heating on is one of the issues 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 labelled ‘dangerous homes’ to be halved in the next decade.

There are currently eight million people living in 3.7 million properties that the charities class as ‘dangerous homes’, based on official English Housing Survey data.

A home was defined by the charities as dangerous if it is cold and unable to be heated, in need of repair, or has a serious hazard. 

Often, repairs are too expensive to be carried out, leaving residents’ health at risk, including children who face dealing with damp and mould. 

The campaigners said they referred to ‘dangerous homes’, as they believe the softer ‘non-decent homes’ official term is one of the reasons why 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 for the Government to improve the quality of the country’s worst homes – and in turn the health of those living in them.

The campaign carried out a survey of 2,098 people living in a mix of property tenures, including social housing, private rented homes and privately owned.

It found that a total of 54 per cent of people say that it has become more difficult to keep their home warm during the past two years.

Many people have struggled to pay their energy bills alongside other household costs during the cost of living crisis. 

At the same time, 39 per cent say that it has become more difficult to keep their home in a good state of repair.

And one in four people say it has become more difficult to keep their home free from hazards and defects during the past two years.

Dr Carole Easton, of the Centre for Ageing Better, said: ‘No one should have to live in a dangerous home that damages their health or the health of their family.

‘Poor quality housing is severely damaging the health of millions of children, adults and pensioners – and incurring huge healthcare costs and putting enormous strain on health services.

Poor quality housing is severely damaging the health of millions of children, adults and pensioners – and incurring huge healthcare costs and putting enormous strain on health services 

‘Building new homes will not adequately solve the problem because four in 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 prevent inflicting further harm on the health of the nation.’

‘As our survey shows, being able to afford to have home improvement work is a significant barrier but it not the only problem we need to overcome. People don’t know who to trust or where to get advice on what needs to be done to make their homes safe.

‘With a greater political priority and adequate resourcing, we could fix all unsafe homes in this country and help ensure everyone has the opportunity for longer and healthier lives.

‘As our survey shows, being able to afford to have home improvement work is a significant barrier but it not the only problem we need to overcome. People don’t know who to trust or where to get advice on what needs to be done to make their homes safe.

‘With a greater political priority and adequate resourcing, we could fix all unsafe homes in this country and help ensure everyone has the opportunity for longer and healthier lives.’

For the first time since 2016, data by the Centre for Ageing Better found that the number of non-decent owner occupied homes has risen, with 2.2 million homes now defined as unsafe.

This is double the number of non-decent homes in the private rented sector.

A total of 21 per cent in the private rented sector fail the decent homes standard compared to 14 per cent in the owner occupied sector and 10 per cent of socially rented homes.

As many as 14.4 per cent built between 1981 and 1990 are now classed as non-decent. This is a higher proportion than for post-war homes, built between 1945 and 1964, which are almost twice as old.

And 31.6 per cent of homes built before 1919 now poses a health risk to its residents.

…in the last 12 months, more than 200,000 families had seen their children’s bed or bedding getting mouldy because they couldn’t afford to put the heating on

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 getting mouldy because they couldn’t afford to put the heating on.

‘This cannot be right. We need a commitment from all political parties to make sure every child grows up in a safe home.’

The survey revealed that 57 per cent of those who had needed repairs on their homes in the past two years but hadn’t been able to have the work done, cited the work as being too expensive.

A further 19 per cent 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 damages their health,

‘We know that respiratory infections can thrive in colder temperatures and poorly ventilated, damp environments. Long-term exposure to colder temperatures, damp and mould can also affect the immune response, hampering the body’s ability to fight off respiratory infections.

‘This is one of the reasons we are joining the campaign so that no-one in England has to live in a home that damages their health and limits their life.’