Nearly half of private renters say they are depressed and anxious about their post-pandemic housing situation.

The finding came from the homeless charity Shelter. The concerns expressed are not unfounded, said Shelter. A quarter of private renters (2m people) have seen their incomes decrease in the last six months, and many are struggling to pay their rent, it said.

‘In just the last month 24 per cent of private renters have had to borrow money to pay their rent, 18 per cent have cut back on food or skipped meals to pay their rent, and 12 per cent have cut back on heating their home to pay their rent’. 

Two-thirds of calls answered by Shelter’s emergency helpline in the last year were from people already homeless or at risk of homelessness, it said.  

‘Through our helpline we have seen just how scared people are about their homes and their futures. People’s lives are literally on the line. They are desperately struggling, and the threat of homelessness is very real’, said Shelter chief executive Polly Neate.