UK's Bad Housing Crisis

If you have a small home with two bedrooms of around 71sq ft then each bedroom is only fit to sleep 1 ‘person’.

A person only becomes a full ‘person’ when they turn 10 years old. Children between 12 months and 5 are classed as half a person. Babies under 12 months are not even classed as a person at all!

Rooms under 50sq ft are not counted. Rooms between 50 and 70sq ft can sleep half a person. Rooms between 70sq ft and 90sq ft can sleep 1 person. Rooms between 90sq ft and 110sq ft can sleep 1.5 people. Rooms over 110sq ft can sleep 2 people.

Bedroom 1, 71 sq feet
octuplets(!) under 12 months = classed as 0 people
two children under 5 = together classed as 1 person.

Bedroom 2, 78 sq feet
one child aged 12 = classed as 1 person

Mum and dad have no bedroom and under the law, are expected to sleep in the living room or dining room if there is one.

Crazy isn’t it? Have a think about how small 71sq ft and 78sq ft rooms actually are.
You would have trouble fitting a bunkbed and wardrobes in a room that size, so you would never fit 8 cots in as well!

Along with the stress of no space, imagine being an adult couple with no personal privacy for peace, discussion, undressing, etc. Nightmare!

Unfortunately this nightmare is reality for many families who cannot afford to buy their own place or privately rent a bigger home.

If you agree that this isn’t right, please sign the Shelter Overcrowing Petition for No.10. (petition closes 29th March 2010, so please hurry and sign to get your view counted!).

Filed under: UK housing, bad housing, housing, Housing Act, overcrowded, Overcrowding Act, UK housing