Housing Crisis


A Film About Social Housing Is Unexpectedly Selling Out
Dispossession has been compared to I, Daniel Blake.

Here's Why The Housing Crisis Will Be A Key Election Battle
The parties will be keen to win over young voters who are suffering due to Britain's housing crisis, but it seems unlikely they will meet campaigners' demands.

Developers Want To Build Flats In London That Are Smaller Than Most Bedrooms
BuzzFeed News has uncovered a proposal to build flats that could have just 6.7 square metres of floor space. Campaigners warn Londoners could end up in "glorified rabbit hutches".

Why Are Asking Prices For London's Luxury Flats Falling?
BuzzFeed News has identified more than £18 million worth of asking-price reductions among flats at the Nine Elms regeneration area on the south bank of the Thames.

I'm A 40-Year-Old Professional And I Still Live With My Parents
When I tell people I'm 40 and live at my parents' house, the most common response is, “Lucky you, I wish my parents lived in London!”

Here's How Much London House Prices Have Gone Up In The Last 20 Years
What bought you a two-bedroom house in 1996 could get you a place to park your boat in 2016.

These Women Are Proof The Housing Crisis Isn't Just In London
News coverage may focus on the South East of England, but the housing problem is afflicting people across the country. BuzzFeed News spent a day in Manchester with two young women living through it.

These Are The Most Affordable Places To Live Based On Your Actual Earnings
Enter your postcode to compare the average income in your area with rent and house prices.

Enter Your Postcode And We Will Tell You What Expensive Thing You Can Buy Instead Of A House In Your Area
Why save for a deposit when you could save for a hovercraft?

Everyone Thinks Katy Perry's House Falling Off The Brits Stage Is A Metaphor For The Housing Crisis
"Goodbye, house I'll never be able to afford."

This Quiz Will Tell You How Shit Your House Is
Probably not so bad.

16 Honest, Moving, And Personal Stories About “Hidden” Homelessness
Street homelessness is just the tip of the iceberg. Many more people are surfing friends' sofas or squatting in makeshift homes.

8 Charts That Show The Difference Between The UK's Housing Market And Europe's
This puts things into perspective.

This Is What It’s Like When A Whole Family Lives In A Room The Size Of A Parking Space
A growing number of families are forced to live in a single room, sometimes for years, as councils struggle to house them appropriately. BuzzFeed News investigates a hidden housing scandal.

This Is How Many Scottish Castles You Could Buy For The Price Of A London Flat
Would you rather have a 30-room, historic Scottish baronial mansion or a five-bedroom flat in London for 10 times the price?

These Brits Found Creative Ways To Escape The Housing Crisis And They Couldn't Be Happier
People are living in "tiny houses", timber woodland structures, and canal boats – and one YouTuber has set up home in a converted ambulance.

10 Ways To Fix The Housing Crisis
Making renting less of a nightmare and making housebuilding actually profitable would be a good start, apparently.

Here's Why People In Their Twenties And Thirties Are Living With Mum And Dad
Chores, endless attempts to save up, and what it's like to sleep in your childhood bedroom.

These Residents Made A Video To Complain About Their Housing Provider And It Went Viral
The video asking Newham council in east London "to take back control" has gained over 100,000 views.

The Government Says It Can Fix The "Broken" Housing Market But Labour Claims It Has "No Plan"
Among the proposals are plans to make longer-term rental tenancies widely available, but critics say the plans don't go far enough.

The Number Of People Sleeping Rough In England Has Risen For The Sixth Year Running
More than 4,000 people sleep rough every night, according to new government figures – a 58% rise since 2010.

A London Borough With Soaring House Prices Has Been Given Just £36,000 To Tackle Crisis
The government has given the money to Hackney, where the average house price is over £500,000, to provide help to first-time buyers. A local MP called the amount "laughable".

Post-Brexit Britain Heading For "Intergenerational Apartheid", Report Warns
The report, from the United for All Ages think tank, recommended old people's homes also house children's centres.

Can These Flats Made From Boxes Help Solve The UK's Housing Crisis?
Factory-built flats are being touted as a way to relieve pressure on growing homelessness across the country, but are they really part of the solution?

Homelessness In England Rises To More Than A Quarter Of A Million People
Housing charity Shelter estimates that there are 255,000 homeless people in England today, with London the worst-affected area.

Government Housebuilding Plans "Don't Go Far Enough", Say Campaigners And Industry Leaders
In his Autumn Statement, chancellor Philip Hammond announced that 100,000 new homes in areas of high demand and 40,000 so-called affordable homes would be built by 2020-21.

New Study Shows House Price Rises Linked To Private Tenant Evictions
An expert blames rising house prices and landlords who want to cash in for the recent increase in evictions.

Government Announces £5 Billion Plan To Tackle Housing Crisis
Communities secretary Sajid Javid said on Monday there was a "moral duty" to build more homes.

The Death Of A Utopian Estate And The Changing Face Of London's Housing Market
Robin Hood Gardens, a brutalist housing estate built in 1972, is to be knocked down to make way for higher-density modern housing.

More Than A Million Tenants Reported Illegal Landlord Behaviour In Last Year, Survey Claims
A YouGov poll commissioned by the housing charity Shelter found that 1 in 8 people in private rented accommodation in England had experienced unlawful practices by their landlord.

Campaign Grows To Ban £115 Million-A-Year Estate Agent Fees
Letting agency fees are paid by 40% of renters every year, except in Scotland where they are paid by landlords.

Only A True Londoner Will Be Able To Indentify The Cheapest Flat
Which one-bedroom flat is least likely to bankrupt you?

London Mayor Forces Public Land Sell-Off At Below-Market Rate For New Homes
Sadiq Khan has announced that 400 homes will be built on a former RAF site owned by Transport for London.

MPs And Campaigners Say New Report Proves Bedroom Tax Is A Failed Policy
Labour described the policy as an attempt "to regenerate the economy on the backs of the poor and disabled".

Airbnb's Professional Landlords Are Making London's Housing Crisis Even Worse
Airbnb works hard to project the image of the "sharing economy" – ordinary people lending their homes to each other. But a BuzzFeed News investigation suggests that in London, that’s often not the case.

Housing Experts Criticise Cash Compensation Proposal
The government is reportedly considering giving money to people living in towns near large-scale residential projects, in a move dismissed as ineffective by analysts and campaigners.

Someone Turned A Double-Decker Bus Into A Two-Bed Flat Because Why Not
As the housing crisis bites, almost anything is potentially a house.

Homeownership In England Falls To Levels Last Seen In 1986, Research Finds
The North contains some of the worst-affected areas, according to new analysis from the Resolution Foundation think tank.

6 Ideas That Could Help Solve The Housing Crisis
The rising cost of housing is forcing families into debt and changing the way young people live. Aside from simply building more houses, here are some schemes that could potentially help.

Millennials Pay £44,000 More In Rent Than Their Parents Did
"Young people today are paying a heavy price for decades of falling home ownership."

England Needs 300,000 New Homes A Year To Solve Housing Crisis, Says Lords Report
The House of Lords select committee on economic affairs has recommended sweeping changes to planning to allow a far more ambitious housebuilding programme.

London’s Housing Chief Seeks To Restore Confidence After Brexit
After a tumultuous week for London's crucial property industry in the wake of the EU referendum, City Hall's housing tsar has called for a period of calm while markets readjust.

Does A London Slowdown Mean The UK Is Headed For A Housing Crash?
As the threat of Brexit plunges the property market into uncertainty, house prices in London are finally falling after years of growth. BuzzFeed News speaks to housing experts who say this could be part of a much wider and worrying trend.

Young People Are Spending Almost Half Their Income On Rent
The average full-time worker aged under 30 spends 48% of their income on rent, or 57% in London.

House Prices Grew Five Times Faster Than Wages In The Last Five Years
New research shows the housing market grew by 36% and weekly earnings by just 7% in the same five-year period.

Private Evictions Have Doubled In The Last Five Years
As a national housing shortage worsens, the number of people being evicted from rented accommodation has increased, government figures show.

How Housing Became The Defining Issue Of London's Mayoral Election
As voters in the capital prepare to choose their next mayor on Thursday, BuzzFeed News looks at how housing became Londoners' No. 1 worry and what the main mayoral candidates propose to do about it.

12 Unbelievable Houses That Cost Less Than £80,000 In Scotland
£79,000 gets you a 7-metre studio in London, or a six bedroom hotel in Scotland.

This Woman Could Go Blind Because Of Poor Housing Conditions
As new data shows that 60% of people in private rented accommodation in London are living in poor housing, BuzzFeed News spoke to a woman who faces losing her sight because the state of her home is preventing her from having a sight-saving operation.

How An £800 Million Property Development Became A Fight For East London's Soul
The £800 million Bishopsgate Goodsyard development in London's Shoreditch has met with strong opposition from a coalition of campaigners and politicians. BuzzFeed News speaks to locals to find out how the scheme became the most-hated development in the city.

How Much Do You Need To Earn To Buy A House In Your Area?
According to Shelter, the average first-time buyer in England will need to earn £64,000 a year to afford an average-priced house in 2020. Can you guess how much you'd need where you live?

This Is Why People Really Don't Like The Government's Housing Bill
The House of Lords has defeated a number of key elements of the bill, which is designed to ease the housing crisis but could make it worse, according to local government, members of the House of Lords, and opposition parties.

Someone Re-Made The Tube Map To Show How Expensive It Is Renting In London
Stopping at all stations to Housing Crisis.

This Is What It's Like To Be In Court Facing Eviction
BuzzFeed News spent a day at Bow county court to watch what happens as families fight to keep a roof over their heads.

9 Ways The Housing Crisis Is Changing The Way Young People Live
Short version: If you're aged 24 to 35, you are much less likely to own a house than your parents were.

MP Threw Charity Chairman Out Of Parliament Over Evictions Remark
Stella Creasy branded the chair of the Glasspool Charty Trust "a disgrace" for saying "it happens" in relation to the eviction of 63 flats in London.

Young People Say The Government's New Savings Scheme Won't Help Them
The new "lifetime ISA", announced by George Osborne in the Budget on Wednesday, has been met with a negative response from young people who say they're too far in debt to take advantage of it.

The Government's Starter Homes Are Not Affordable, Say Councils
The 200,000 homes, designed to be bought by first-time buyers under the age of 40, should not be classed as affordable housing, according to a survey of council leaders.

London House Prices Rose Twice As Fast As The Rest Of The Country Last Year
But the number of sales in the capital are falling as prices continue to rise, according to data from the Land Registry.

This Letting Agent Admits The Housing Shortage Is Good News For Landlords
Reeds Rains and Your Move said a consistent lack of housing meant there would remain a strong demand for private rental properties.

A Quarter Of London Homes Will Be Worth £1 Million By 2030
A report from the London School of Economics and Santander says that the number of £1 million homes in the capital will treble to 947,000.

As House Prices Soar, Campaigners Warn Under-35s May Never Be Homeowners
The average UK house price is edging towards £300,000 and not everyone can afford to buy.

Tory Councillor Who Helps Landlords Evict Tenants Is Under Investigation
Tim Briggs, the leader of the Conservatives in Lambeth, has provided legal advice in as many as 10 repossessions in the borough.

People Keep Getting Evicted From This Housing Estate Because Of Rent Increases
A 69-year-old woman is being evicted because she won’t pay a £152-a-month rent increase on her south London flat, six months after a family of four was evicted after facing a similar hike.

Here's What £700 A Month In Rent Would Get You In Scotland
Brb, moving to Fife.

More Young People Are Living In Poverty Than Ever Before
New research has found that 1.7 million 16-24 year-olds are now living in poverty, almost half a million more than a decade ago.

Here's Where A Family On The Living Wage Would Be Able To Buy A Starter Home
David Cameron has pledged to build 200,000 "starter homes" for first-time buyers by 2020. Here's where the scheme would let different earners buy.

People Are Protesting Against Gentrification At The March Against Evictions Rally In London
BuzzFeed News spoke to people who could be forced to leave their homes in a matter of weeks.