A-Z: From Anxiety to Zero Way Out

Mother hugs her child, looking sad and anxious

It's the alphabet that no child should have to learn. But our A-Z, in partnership with Crisis, demonstrates how pressing the need is for increased provision of adequate social housing.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A is for… Anxiety

Nearly two thirds (62%) of people waiting for a social home said that issues related to their current property had negatively impacted their mental health.

B is for… Bedsit

Spaces where many spend months, or even years, waiting for a home of their own.

C is for… Cold

Shivering in temporary accommodation that lacks appropriate heat or insulation.

D is for… Damp

On walls. On ceilings. Even on the floors beneath your feet.

E is for… Evictions

One of the main reasons people are pushed into homelessness.

1 in 4 people

on social housing waiting lists report feeling hopeless.

F is for… Financial struggles

Over half of people on a waiting list fear their financial situation will get worse while they wait for a permanent home.

G is for… Government action

Change is possible. Lloyds Banking Group and Crisis are calling for the UK to build 1 million more homes for social rent by 2033.

H is for… Hostels

Shared accommodation is not a long-term solution to homelessness.

I is for… Insecurity

A lack of housing and surging rents creates insecurity and uncertainty about the future.

J is for… Jobs

Finding and keeping a job when you don’t have a place to call home is incredibly difficult. Having to wash at the gym, sleep in a car or worry about losing your job if someone finds out you’re homelessness are not sustainable positions.

K is for… Kitchens

Shared between dozens of people, in disrepair, or often entirely non-existent in some temporary accommodation.

55%

say their lives were on hold.

L is for… Loneliness

Homelessness is incredibly isolating. From being ignored, to being moved far away from family and friends, to being banned from having visitors, temporary accommodation is not a home.

M is for… Mould

Dangerous to our health, but something too many are forced to endure in temporary accommodation.

N is for… Negative impact

Three quarters (73%) of people on social housing waiting lists are living in accommodation that negatively impacts their health.

O is for… Overcrowding

Three out of 10 (29%) on social housing waiting lists say there is not enough space for their children to play.

P is for… Poverty

Poverty restricts people’s options. Low paid, unstable work pushes people to the brink, leaving them with no option but to go without food or heating to try and pay their rent.

Q is for… Quality of sleep

Two fifths of those waiting for a social rented home said that issues with their accommodation impacts on their sleep.

R is for… Relocation

Thousands of families are forced to move further away from work, school or friends because councils don’t have enough homes.

S is for… Sofa surfing

Some 139,000 people in England spend their nights on stranger’s sofas or friends’ floors, according to Crisis data.

T is for… Trapped

Half of those on social housing waiting lists (50%) say it feels like they are trapped in their housing situation.

U is for… Unsafe

Almost a quarter (23%) on social housing waiting lists feel their accommodation is not a safe environment to raise a family.

V is for… Vermin

Rats, mice, bedbugs and fleas.

3 in 4

suffer negative health effects.

W is for… Waiting list

There are around 1.5 million households on social housing waiting lists in the UK. Without major change in housing policy, that waiting list is only going to grow.

X is for… Xenophobia

Black, Asian and other minoritised ethnic groups face homelessness and insecure housing more often than others because of structural inequality and systemic racism.

Y is for… Years

A third of people wait between one and five years before getting a social house.

Z is for… Zero Way Out

One in four (26%) on social housing waiting lists report feeling hopeless. Z can feel like Zero Way Out. But it’s in our power to change things.

Housing Financial wellbeing

About the authors Charlie Nunn, Group Chief Executive

Charlie has over 25 years’ experience in the financial services sector. Prior to joining the Group in August 2021, Charlie held a range of leadership positions at HSBC, including Global Chief Executive, Wealth and Personal Banking, and Group Head of Wealth Management and Digital, as well as Global Chief Operating Officer of Retail Banking and Wealth Management.

Charlie began his career at Accenture, where he worked for 13 years in the US, France, Switzerland and the UK before being made a Partner. He then moved to McKinsey & Co. as a Senior Partner, leading on projects for five years.

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Charlie's background

Matt Downie, Chief Executive, Crisis

Matt Downie MBE has been Chief Executive of Crisis since January 2022. Prior to that he was Crisis’ Director of Policy and External Affairs from July 2014.

Matt has led a number of significant initiatives in policy, research, best practice and service development in homelessness. This includes leading the campaign to achieve the Homelessness Reduction Act which came into force in 2018. He was awarded an MBE in the 2019 Queen’s birthdays honours, for ‘Services to tackling homelessness’, and is the UK representative for FEANTSA, the European-wide body on homelessness.

Prior to his work at Crisis, Matt led award winning teams and successful campaigns at Action for Children and the National Autistic Society, and he began his career at Shelter.

Matt's background

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