Shelter and HSBC UK research: 40% of people fear housing pressures will get worse in 2024

The majority of adults have experienced a housing pressure in the last year

New research from Shelter and HSBC UK, conducted by YouGov, released today reveals the crushing weight of the housing emergency as 19.7 million people in England (66%) reported pressures on their housing in 2023: 

• 6.3 million people (21%) struggled to keep up with their mortgage or rent payments 

• 3.1 million (10%) worried about eviction from their home 

• 11.7 million (39%) had to cut back on essentials to keep up with their housing costs

Families with children are more likely to have experienced a housing concern in the last year compared to adults without children. They’re also more likely to have struggled to keep up with rent or mortgage payments compared with adults without children.  

Housing pressures are worsening people’s mental health  

40% of people who pay housing costs in England – equivalent to 12 million adults – worry their housing pressures will only get worse in 2024.  

The new polling reveals the real toll these mounting concerns are having on people’s lives. More than half of adults (56%) report being kept awake at night in the last year as a result of housing pressures, while seven in ten (70%) said they felt anxious, and half said their housing situation has left them feeling hopeless (49%). Adults with children are more likely to have been kept awake at night compared to adults without children, reinforcing the disproportionate impact on families.

How to get help 

Concerningly, 30% of people say they did not know where they could turn to get help with their housing concerns. Shelter is urging anyone who is feeling overwhelmed by their housing problems to get in touch for free and expert advice.

If you’re an HSBC UK customer and want to find out more about support and tools available, get in touch directly via phone, mobile and web chat, in a branch, or online at www.hsbc.co.uk/help/money-worries/  

Support from HSBC UK 

Shelter and HSBC UK are working together to help more people build financial resilience and break the vicious circle of homelessness. Building on the impact of HSBC UK’s ground-breaking No Fixed Address bank account service, our three-year partnership will increase support for people in immediate crisis as well as help those at risk build a more secure future.    

With support from partners including HSBC UK, we provide tailored and easy-to-follow advice on a wide range of housing issues on our website, as well as a free web-chat service, emergency national helpline, and face-to-face services across the country.

Five tips for easing the pressure

Shelter’s Emergency Helpline Operations Manager, Nadeem Khan, shares his top five tips for easing the pressure of housing problems:

1. Making a start can make all the difference. Whatever the housing pressure or problem you face, if it’s affecting your or your family’s health, take the first step towards getting help by visiting our trusted housing advice.

2. Respond to letters and phone calls. It’s natural to want to keep your head down and hope your renting worries will go away but it’s important to read everything your landlord or letting agent sends to you. Keep a record of every letter and phone call.    

3. Find out your rights as a renter. If you’re living in a rented home that isn’t up to scratch, find out what your landlord should be doing to address poor conditions and disrepair.

4. If you’re falling behind on your rent or at risk of losing your home, get advice straight away. There may be things you can do to improve your situation. For example, you may be able to claim housing benefit to help pay the rent. Find out more by visiting our web pages on benefits and money problems.  

5. Your mental health matters. You can get specialist help with mental health issues from charities like Rethink Mental Illness and Mind, or by speaking to your GP.

Source: 

• Total sample size was 3,237 adults with housing costs in England. Fieldwork was undertaken between 2nd – 4th January 2024.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all England adults (aged 18+). 

• Adults with housing costs include people who rent privately, rent from a local authority or housing association, own with a mortgage or pay rent to friends or family.   

• The estimated population figures are calculated by Shelter using Census 2021 data on the number of adults aged 18+ living in households that pay housing costs. There are 29.8 million adults in England living in households that pay housing costs.