Our survey: the stats

All housing

• Four in five (79 per cent) people with mental health problems told us that their housing had negatively impacted their mental health.
• More than two in three (69 per cent) people reported experiencing at least one issue with the quality of their housing such as damp, mould, threat of eviction, overcrowding and unstable tenancies.
• Two in five (43 per cent) said they had experienced difficulty understanding their rights regarding housing.
• Two in five (42 per cent) had experienced homelessness in the past.

Download these as infographics

Social housing

People with mental health problems in social housing are more likely to:

• say their experience of housing had made their mental health worse
• face stigma from housing professionals
• have difficulties getting advice about how to navigate the housing system
• experience poor conditions in their social housing.

Our report: Brick by brick

In late 2017 we published a report: 'Brick by brick: A review of mental health and housing'. Brick by brick tells the stories of people like 'Dan' who felt he had to hide his mental health problems to secure somewhere to live, 'Crystal' who was assessed for priority housing by someone with no understanding of mental health, and 'Amy' who's constantly afraid that benefits changes will mean she loses her home.

Brick by brick paints a stark picture of the severity of the housing issues facing people with mental health problems: from cold, damp, poor quality homes, unscrupulous landlords, and housing professionals holding outdated stigmatising beliefs about people with mental health problems, to the challenges posed by housing association processes, the prevalence of unfair evictions, and the rising costs of housing across the board.

Download report

What we've said about housing issues

We've been busy behind the scenes, responding to several Government consultations about housing and how it can impact mental health. You can read our responses here:

• London Housing Strategy (December 2017)
• Homelessness Reduction Act (December 2017)
• Supported housing funding (January 2018)
• Private rented sector: Longer tenancies (August 2018)
• Social housing: Response to the Government's green paper (November 2018)

We have also written briefings or submissions for parliamentarians on other issues:

• Healthy homes and buildings (August 2017)
• Private rented sector: Rogue landlords (November 2017)
• Housing quality and mental health (January 2018)

Any questions?

If you'd like to find out more about the campaign or these pieces of research, get in touch with the team at [email protected].

If you need any adivce or support on your current housing situation, head to our information page for useful resources including tips on how to cope and where you can get more support. You can also check out our guide to your housing rights.