3 million Britons lonely due to housing situation

Three million people who live on their own say they feel lonely due to their living situation, according to a report released yesterday (December 2) by the Community Led Homes partnership.

The report, Home Aloners: the true cost of living alone in Britain today, reveals the findings of a survey, commissioned by Community Led Homes and carried out by Savanta ComRes, and explores how today’s ‘loneliness epidemic’ is affected by people’s living situation.

It showed that more than a quarter (28%) of people who live alone say it is not good for their mental health. That’s the equivalent of more than 2.2 million Britons – more than the population of Paris.

The total number of people who live alone and feel lonely is likely to reach nearly 4 million by 2039, the report says.

The report also reveals new analysis of government data uncovering that nearly one million people who live alone in Britain today don’t have anyone to call for company.  And that more than 600,000 Britons who live alone have nobody there if they need help and by 2039 it is expected to rise to nearly 900,000.

Community-Led Homes is launching ‘More than Housing’, a campaign to support communities to make supportive, affordable, secure homes, together, and is encouraging people to consider community-led housing as a way of combating the challenges of solo living.

Samantha Jones, Head of Community Led Homes, said: ‘Despite being a great way to live for millions of people, solo living can have its pitfalls.

‘That’s the beauty of community-led housing for people who live on their own. They can have their own private home with the backup and support of a network of neighbours.  Lots of people even choose to cook, eat and socialise with their neighbours in shared spaces that have been built into the development. This is more than housing. This is security, community and even friendship.’

Read the report here.