The Government cannot hope to stabilise the NHS and grow the economy without tackling the crisis of poor-quality housing, a report has warned.
New data from the Centre for Ageing Better has found that more than one in five people aged 50 and over in England – or 4.5 million people – are living in a poor-quality home that could be making their existing health condition worse.
People from Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds and those living in London were more likely to be affected.
The deputy director for homes at the Centre for Ageing Better, Holly Holder, said: ‘By failing to address poor-quality homes we are limiting the lives of some of the country’s poorest and most vulnerable people.
‘Improving poor-quality homes means longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives for everyone, reduced burden on health and social care services, and more jobs and skills in the economy.
‘We are calling on the Government to fix this hidden housing crisis by delivering a national strategy to tackle poor quality housing across all tenures and committing to halving the number of non-decent homes over the next decade.’
