Poor housing affects mental health of women more than men, says homeless charity

Women are far more likely than men to say that issues with their housing have had detrimental repercussions on their mental health during the pandemic, new research has found.

- MAYA OPPENHEIM

Women are far more likely than men to say that issues with their housing have had detrimental repercussions on their mental health during the pandemic, new research has found.

A poll conducted by Shelter, the UK’s leading housing charity, has revealed that almost half of women who rent privately feel stressed or anxious about housing problems or concerns, in comparison to a third of men. Meanwhile, a quarter of women who rent privately say their housing issues or anxieties have made them physically sick, higher than the 19 per cent of men who say the same.

The research, carried out with YouGov, found that 25 per cent of women – compared with 18 per cent of men – who rent privately say that their housing problems have had a negative impact on their ability to work, their capacity to obtain work in the first place, or their ability to get a better job.

Polly Neate, the chief executive of Shelter, told The Independent that women are being disproportionately affected by problems caused by poor housing and that single mums, in particular, are more likely to be affected. She said: “Listening to the calls flooding into our helpline, there’s no doubt that poor housing is harming people’s health – and women are bearing the brunt.

“With a scarcity of decent social homes, women, and especially single mums, are more likely to be pushed into poor housing. Balancing work and childcare can be hard for any parent, but when you’ve got to deal with expensive and unstable private renting, welfare cuts, and discrimination against people on benefits, it’s no wonder so many women say their housing situation is making them sick.”