A severe shortage of homes is forcing 130,000 families in England to squeeze into one-bedroom flats, according to a new report from the National Housing Federation. 
The research from the National Housing Federation – which represents housing associations in England, not-for-profit landlords to more than six million people – reveals that more than one in ten children in England are living in overcrowded homes. This comes to a total of around 1.3m children from more than 600,000 families, who are stuck in overcrowded conditions because there is nowhere else for them to live. Overcrowding in England has now reached record levels (1), as around 96,000 more children are living in overcrowded homes compared to a decade ago.
Homes are said to be ‘overcrowded’ if a child has to share their bedroom with two or more other children, sleep in the same room as their parents, or share with a teenager of the opposite sex.