Housing Crisis - 5 in a two bed flat

[Westcountrygal]

I was flabbergasted to recently learn about so many people sharing incredibly cramped living conditions. A Scottish MP saying on the radio that he grew up sharing with his two brothers, effectively three kids to a bedroom.

A colleague living in a two bed flat with her three kids, older ones sharing and baby in with the parents- where will they all go as the kids get older?

I live in an incredibly expensive city and coming across so many people living in very cramped living conditions must be so difficult. Where do people even keep all their clothes/ endless washing/ belongings?

I grew up sharing a box room with a much younger sister and hated it! I wouldn’t inflict that on a child of my own. Definitely in the camp of ‘don’t have kids you can’t afford’. There are so many split families now who seem to feel a need to have more kids with a new partner without any consideration to the children’s space or view on life as they grow up, I don’t get it.

There were 5 of us between 2 bedrooms. Us kids had bunk beds and a single bed. It was absolutely fine! We were clothed, food in our belly, educated at local school and medical treatment whenever required. A very happy childhood, you just cut your cloth..... none of us are materialistic as adults...we were brought up with other values ...tho all high earners.

The concept that every child gets/ needs/ deserves their own bedroom is a modern concept. Growing up the only person I knew who had their own bedroom was an only child.
It’s not the end of the world if you have to share a bedroom, or live in a smaller space.

I only have one sibling and grew up in a 3 bed council house in the 1970s. (Quite large with separate dining room.) I lived near half a dozen families with 6, 7, and 8 children though. All in the same type of council house as mine. In each case the parents had the boxroom, and the 6 to 8 children were split between the 2 other bedrooms and the dining room that was used as a bedroom. Many times there were 3 children in one bedroom.

Not uncommon at all, and people did just go along with it. My friends with 5+ siblings were very envious of me having my own room. I was envious of them having 4 sisters and 3 brothers! Then they were envious of me for only having one brother. Said they didn't get much attention from their mum or dad with there being so many children! Also, the oldest one or two girls were made to do housework and chores, and made to look after the younger children.

tl;dr, it might have been OK 40+ years ago, but I don't think a family of 5 should be in a 2 bed flat. Even a 2 bed house would be better because at least you have the garden! (Even so, a 3 bed house would be better.)

A lot of things that happened pre 1990s are not OK now!

I know someone in a 2 bed council flat, husband wife 2 boys 1 girl, 2 eldest mid-teens, youngest approx 11.
the living room is classed by the council as being a bedroom so don’t qualify as over crowded.
personally don’t know how they do it

What will you do with him if you and/or your DH lose your jobs?

two, the previous owners were a family of five (three adult children).

A couple of kids sharing a room absolutely fair enough - when I suddenly found myself a single mum and could only afford to privately rent a small two-bed, that was what my two boys did until I could afford something bigger.
But I just don't understand couples who find themselves tight for space and yet they keep having more children? Especially those who are in the Social Housing system then expect to be given a bigger house "just like that."

It’s easier to squeeze 1 child in than 4 or 5.

The mother is not from a culture that frowns on contraception

I grew up living in one room with my parents and sister for a number of years. My elderly grandpa was in the second room.

As a child it didn't bother me at all as I didn't know any different. It was probably tricky for my parents but they were working so many hours to keep afloat that I imagine they were too exhausted to care

I agree, but not really the point I was making.

I grew up with 4 sisters in a 3 bedroom house. I shared with my younger siblings in smallest room. Parents had medium room and older 3 sisters shared largest bedroom. Only 1 bathroom with 1 toilet. We managed.

My grandparents were fortunate to have a house with three bedrooms and a proper bathroom.

At one point, the one place accommodated my grandparents, my great-grandmother, my great-uncle and my grandparents' 6 children. I know that there was a fold-out bed in the living room, but I don't know how else they organised the available rooms.

I grew up sharing a bedroom with my sister and absolutely hated it, bu it wasn’t really the expectation for kids to all have their own rooms back in the 80s, we weren’t that long past the times when kids were lucky if they weren’t sharing a bed with siblings! I ended up moving my bed and all my belongings into a “box room” which was more of a cupboard and sleeping in there quite happily until I left home.

I now live in a 3 bedroom house with 3 dc, dds loved sharing a room when they were little but now they are teens they do not, so I have my living room separated with a partition wall and I am back to sleeping in a windowless cupboard for the second time in my life so they can all have their own rooms.

I shared with my two brothers till I left home at 18. My sister had her own bedroom (fair enough). It was a 3 bedroom council house.
My dad was one of 11 children - he shared a (double) bed with 5 brothers. His 5 sisters shared a different room.
Mum was one of 10 children, in similar city-slum dwellings.
I count myself lucky.

As adults I am still closer emotionally to my younger sister and our 3 older sisters stick together like glue. Shari g a room through childhood bonds DC together.

Depends on what you're accustomed to I suppose. I grew up in a big family in a big house, and had my own bedroom, but still had the sense that the house in general was crowded.

For most of my adult life I've had a detached house entirely to myself, apart from a few brief stints of living in flats and an even briefer (and unpleasant) period of house-sharing.

But even now, I'd prefer a much bigger house than I currently occupy, with more land and more distance between myself and any neighbours. I wouldn't be able to cope at all with the tiny, over-crowded living spaces being reported here.

I now live in a 3 bedroom house with 3 dc, dds loved sharing a room when they were little but now they are teens they do not, so I have my living room separated with a partition wall and I am back to sleeping in a windowless cupboard for the second time in my life so they can all have their own rooms.

This is one of the things that has changed in recent years. Parents giving up their bedroom so their children can have a room each. When I was a kids in the 70s/80s kids had to make do.

Not always.

There were seven of us in a 3 bed semi, so four kids in one double.
My friend was in a family of six in a two bed bungalow.
Could be why all the kids were out all the time as long as it wasn’t raining.
Times change.

The less than 300,000 second homes kept for private use are the “true” reason for the housing crisis? What about the 2 million affordable social homes that have been sold via right to buy?

That’s exactly what we’re trying to avoid…although at this rate we’ll be moving when I’m like 37 weeks so extremely stressful still just in a different way 🫣

Is it more expensive to move when you’re renting? No stamp duty? No commission? No fees. It’s costing me £20,000 to move this year, I can’t see how you would spend that if you are renting.

I don’t think that’s necessarily true at all. My husband had to share a room until he was 14 and he talks often about how much he hated it. They even still made their two bed into a small 3 bed and it functioned okay but he would definitley say his relationship with his brother improved once he didn’t have him in his space all the time.

I’m very close to my siblings. We all had our own rooms.

Other people aren’t close and didn’t share or are close and did. I don’t think it’s a determining factor.