UK housing crisis set to be top voter issue in upcoming general election

euronews (in English)

More than 300,000 people in the UK have no permanent housing on any given night, including those who are sleeping on the streets, living in cars, staying in hostels or temporarily seeking help from family and friends, recent research shows.

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00:00The U.K. housing crisis is set to be one of the top voter issues in the upcoming general

00:05election as rising rents and a shortage of affordable housing pushes more people into

00:11homelessness.

00:13Fresh research shows more than 300,000 people in the U.K. have no permanent housing on any

00:19given night.

00:20Over the last six months, we've seen a 40 to 50 percent increase in footfall of people

00:25approaching us for support, which is huge.

00:29We're seeing a lot more older adults recently, so people in their 60s, 70s and 80s who have

00:33been in insecure accommodation, who are not able to stay there anymore, who have been

00:38sofa surfing.

00:39The lack of affordable housing is coinciding with the persistent cost of living crisis

00:43in the U.K., as food and energy bills still cost more than they did before the pandemic.

00:50And while wages are starting to rise, mortgages and rents have soared along with interest

00:55rates, making large dents in many household incomes.

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