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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Nimo Omer

Tuesday briefing: How the housing crisis is hitting tenants hardest

A housing estate in Sheffield.
A housing estate in Sheffield. Photograph: Gary Calton/The Observer

Good morning. On average there are 20 people requesting to view each rental property that comes on the market in Britain, more than triple what it was in 2019. In some parts of the north-west, that number inches closer to 30 per property. Moving house has always been stressful, but it has become an all-consuming battle for many people as rents rise and demand outstrips supply.

A chronic housing shortage is the primary reason, however campaigners and tenants have said they cannot wait for the government to build more homes. Rough sleeping increased by 34% in London between 2021 and 2022, while the number of people consistently struggling to pay their rent has increased by 45% since last April to more than 2.5 million, according to the housing charity Shelter.

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