Housing Crisis is a Health Crisis

A powerful new report from Crisis, supported by Health Equals, is shining a spotlight on how unaffordable private rents are driving people into poor health and homelessness.

Titled “Now I have my flat, my health is much more stable,” the report shows how soaring private rental costs across the country are leaving people—particularly those on low incomes—unable to afford safe, stable homes.

The research, led by Aiden Greenall at Crisis, includes a powerful interactive map showing that just 2.7% of properties listed for private rent are affordable on Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates. The average shortfall in rent is staggering: £337 per month for a one-bedroom property, £326 for a two-bedroom, and £486 for a three-bedroom.

This gap between incomes and housing costs is forcing many into poor quality housing or temporary accommodation—conditions that the report links directly to increased stress, illness, and long-term health inequalities. In England, more than 164,000 children are now living in temporary accommodation, often in hotel rooms without access to basic facilities. At the same time, 1.8 million children are growing up in overcrowded homes, where cramped conditions put them at higher risk of respiratory illness and disrupted schooling.

The report's findings reinforce what we in rural communities have long known: that without genuinely affordable housing, the foundations of health and wellbeing begin to crumble.

Crisis is calling on the Government to raise LHA rates, invest in social housing, and better regulate the private rented sector to protect tenants. For rural areas, where housing affordability is a persistent challenge, these changes are not just welcome—they are essential.