Poor-quality homes appear to be on the rise, with research revealing that there are now more than one in five people over the age of 50 living in a house that could be exacerbating existing health conditions and putting them even more at risk… perhaps without them even knowing.

Carried out by the Centre for Ageing Better, the study found that 4.5 million people in England with health conditions aggravated by cold weather are living in properties that have one or more serious problems, including rising damp, bad condensation, water leaks, rot, decay, structural issues and electrical/plumbing concerns.

The highest proportion of older people with both health and housing problems live in the rented sector (51 per cent), but the largest number – 2.2 million people over 50 years old – own their own homes. Interestingly, however, older renters are 14 per cent more likely to have five or more problems with their property than homeowners themselves.

Holly Holder, deputy director for homes at the Centre for Ageing Better, said: “No one should have to live in a home that damages their health, yet it is the norm for far too many people in England today.

“By failing to address poor-quality homes we are limiting the lives of some of the country’s poorest and most vulnerable people. Our new analysis shows that the combination of health and house problems are most likely to impact groups of people who are already disadvantaged by multiple health and wealth inequalities.”

She went on to say that people will be able to lead healthier, longer and more fulfilling lives by improving the quality of homes, with the centre now calling on the government to fix this aspect of the housing crisis and devise a national strategy that commits to halving the number of non-decent properties over the next ten years.

Safe Homes Now

The organisation has launched a new Safe Homes Now campaign, along with eight other charities, calling for an end to the scandal of eight million people now living in dangerous homes that pose significant risks to their health.

This is supported by 52 per cent of the general public, saying that the government should be doing more to support people and help them bring their homes up to a good standard.

Currently, 54 per cent say it’s harder to keep their home warm now than it was two years ago, 39 per cent say it’s harder to keep the property in a good state of repair and 25 per cent say that it’s harder to keep the house free from hazards and defects over the same timeframe.

Chief executive of the centre Dr Carole Easton explained that building new homes won’t solve the problem adequately, but there is currently no consideration as to how the quality of homes can be addressed.

If you’re worried about your house and aren’t sure where to turn or who to talk to, you can always discuss your concerns with the Concept Care team, who will be able to help you work out what to do next.