Cost of living: Need for affordable housing at the root of the crisis, charities say

Karen Awdhali is head of services for the Sheffield-based housing charity Nomad, which offers housing and support to those who struggle to maintain a private tenancy.

She has felt the impact of the cost of living crisis on those who use the charity and said: "I'm not being dramatic when I say I can't sleep at night from worry.

"I go into our clients' homes to perform checks and see they haven't got any food in the cupboard.

"One 21-year-old lad had a bag of pasta and some noodles to last him for three days. Another who used to buy a single packet of biscuits as a payday treat now can't even afford that.

"I hear all the time that people are making decisions between heating and eating and it’s infuriating, because it’s not, it’s between living and dying."

Nomad offers bills-included tenancies that are capped at local housing allowance rates, meaning the full amount of rent is covered by benefits.

The charity has also absorbed the extra cost of energy bills, a position which puts them at risk.

Karen said: "People aren’t as generous to charities as they used to be and I totally get it, but we do have to spend more and we also have to find somewhere to get that money from.

"We can’t put that pressure on our clients. If we increased their charges to reflect the actual cost, it could tip them over the edge."

Tracey Nathan, manager of the Sheffield Shelter hub, said: "The need for affordable housing is at the root of this crisis.

"People are going to fall into arrears and be at risk of eviction and homelessness, and we're already seeing about 1,000 people a day calling our emergency helpline.

"So many of them are calling because they actually can't pay the rent."

Data from the Office for National Statistics in 2018 showed people on the lowest income spent a much higher percentage of their income on housing than anyone else, up to 53% in Yorkshire and the Humber.

According to Tracey, the impact of homelessness and housing insecurity is even greater for children and families.

She said: "I can't overestimate the impact of homelessness on families, especially when they've got children.

"It makes them insecure, they often miss out on education, it affects their health and their relationships with peers. The strain of it is terrible."

If you are worried about your housing, you can call Shelter's emergency helpline for free expert advice on 0808 800 4444.