The Dynamics of Bad Housing

Jun 2008 |

About this study

Recent research by NatCen suggests that the longer children live in bad housing, the more likely they are to face health problems, to be bullied and struggle to keep up with their homework.

Commenting on our findings, Adam Sampson, Chief Executive of Shelter, said: "There is a sizable group of children whose entire experience will have been living in poor housing - the damage done to them is incalculable."

The problem of children living in bad housing represents a significant challenge for policy makers intent on improving children's wellbeing.

Shelter have estimated that well over a million children and young people in Britain live in bad housing, coping with problems such as unfit physical conditions, overcrowding, life in temporary accommodation, and fuel poverty.

Find out more

The results of this study were published as two reports.

You can read The Dynamics of Bad Housing Report here and the The Living Standards of Children in Bad Housing here.

You can read a findings summary for The Dynamics of Bad Housing Report here and a findings summary for The Living Standards of Children in Bad Housing here.

You can also read the top line findings from both reports here.

How we worked

NatCen was asked by Eaga-PCT and Shelter to explore the links between bad housing and children's living standards using secondary analysis of existing survey data.

Potential policy impact

Given the link between bad housing and other aspects of children's well-being, such as their health and education, it is expected that by improving housing, child outcomes will also improve.

Incorporating housing issues more prominently into the policy agenda is therefore highly beneficial, as it will result in efficiency savings across a range of policy goals.

Methods

This study uses data from the Families and Children Study (FACS), a large-scale government sponsored survey of families with dependent children in Britain. FACS tracks and collects information on the same children at annual intervals, which meant we could explore children's experiences of bad housing between 2001 to 2005.