|TOP|Housing Justice has welcomed Yvette Cooper’s announcement that the government is to reform the definition of overcrowding, a move it says will benefit thousands of young people up and down the country.

The current statutory definition of overcrowding remains unchanged since it was adopted in the 1930s and considers that all rooms in a house including kitchens and living rooms can be used as bedrooms, while failing to provide for the needs of children and teenagers.

Chief Executive of Housing Justice, Robina Rafferty, commented: “Our network of housing advice centres report to us many cases of families suffering the misery of overcrowded housing.

“Often however they are unable to be re-housed because their local authority has no obligation to act under the law.

|QUOTE|“We welcome the redefinition as the first step towards tackling this problem. The effects of overcrowding on families are felt most of all by children and young people.

“Overcrowding means that they have no space to themselves and can affect their educational achievement, health and well-being, the effects of which are felt all their lives.”

Rafferty warned that the impacts of overcrowding did not stay with only those in overcrowded accommodation but could be felt by wider society.

“These problems are experienced by the whole of society in increased medical costs and young people failing to reach their full potential.”

Government figures show that even with the current limited definition of overcrowding, more than 20,000 families live in overcrowded accommodation, particularly in London, while Housing Justice estimates that under a broader definition as many as 500,000 families may be suffering because overcrowded accommodation.

Rafferty added “In the twenty first century in one of the richest countries in the world it is scandalous that families have to live in overcrowded conditions. The new definition must take into account the need for children and teenagers to have their own separate spaces, and the need for families to have communal living rooms.”

She praised the government for making attempts to tackle the issue. “It is very courageous of the government to propose redefining the overcrowding definition as it will result in increased numbers of families being eligible for re-housing,” she said.

“As Yvette Cooper acknowledged, the only long-term answer to overcrowding is building more houses of a suitable size for families. We hope that they will be able to give a commitment to build these homes to tackle the problem.”