Young suffer in overcrowded house shares
YOUNG people in house shares are having to live and work in cramped conditions, figures show, as researchers warn that space constraints could pose “real issues” if working from home becomes a lasting norm.
The survey, carried out by researchers at the London School of Economics, found that two in five people (37 per cent) living in shared accommodation were both living and working in their bedroom during lockdown.
Many of the respondents – aged between 20 and 39 who share their homes with others – said the cramped conditions were affecting both their mental and physical health.
Nearly half (46 per cent) said they did not have a suitable place to work, 44 per cent were affected by noise and 43 per cent by a lack of privacy while trying to live and work in one space.
Around half said they did not have a kitchen large enough for more than one person to be in at one time. Meanwhile, living spaces had been adapted into temporary work areas, leaving no place to relax and removing any separation between work and downtime.
“I am in a bedroom: eating and working here,” one respondent said.
Kath Scanlon, distinguished policy fellow at LSE, said: “People living in shared homes often compromise on space because they expect to spend most of their time out and about.
“But space constraints pose real issues when several adults are working from home, and our research highlighted practical problems like noise, lack of work surfaces and privacy.
“If home working is to become standard practice, then we need to adapt our homes and relationships accordingly.”
‘The idea that the default is that people have to commute and have to go into the office is an unhelpful one’