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'm 43, I grew up in a 3 bed council terrace, I shared a bedroom with my 3 younger sisters in 2 sets of bunk beds until I left home at 18 and my brother had the box room. Noone called it a housing crisis then though. It was northern Ireland and up our street was a family with 13 children on a house the same size .

So she had people getting up and wandering around her sleeping? Would you like that

The best reception room is weird - surely a bedroom for her and your grandfather makes more sense? People were proud back then though, it would have been to keep up appearances.

As for the inappropriate dogs, that’s a tale as old as time!

It’s also nice to feel like you have separate spaces. Probably better for her mental health not to have to stare at her bed when she’s watching tv and to get the transition between spaces.

Change of circumstances, yes. But, an “overwhelming desire” for a child you can’t adequately house? No. I mean do it, if that’s what you want but don’t then complain about lack of space. It’s a choice.

My dad was one of 11 children - he shared a (double) bed with 5 brothers. His 5 sisters shared a different room.

I simply don't get the people saying about more than 2 people sharing a double bed. Maybe if they're all very young, but they're only going to grow bigger before very long. How can they physically fit?

When you say 'sharing a bed' between 6 of them, do you just mean they took it in turns for 2 (or maybe 3) of them to have the bed whilst the others slept on the floor?

China - and India too - is basically overcrowding on an entire country level. Obviously, the methods, the human rights abuses and the ramifications of China's one child policy were horrific; but the general sentiment about there being far too many people in the country wasn't wrong.

Change of circumstance fine… desire for more kids… so what?! You have a responsibility for them!

My parent was one of 6 kids. They lived in a flat with 2 bedrooms, a living room, a kitchenette, and a bathroom. The three girls shared a double bed in one bedroom, the three boys shared a double bed in the other. They slept head to toe to make more room. Used coats as extra covers in winter as they didn't have enough blankets. I presume my grandparents slept in the living room but I don't know what the set up was. This was 1940s.

Having lots of children is a massive risk. Even if everything in your life is perfect, if the wheels come off, the more kids you have the more problems you'll have.

I grew up in a family of 5 in a 1 bed flat. We just didn't have much stuff and spent alot of time outside. I had a very happy upbringing.

Far too many judgemental responses. Don't comment until you have walked a mile in their shoes! Cost of renting often defines where people live.

Until I was 11 we slept Mum, Dad me and Sister in one bedroom, Unmarried Uncle has the box room, Nanny and two unmarried Aunts in one bedroom. Shared bathroom and kitchen, front living room for us and back living room for them,

We were 5 kids growing up. We had a two bedroom flat. 2 kids per room and parents sleeping on a bed in the living room with a baby then toddler in a cot with them.
Not ideal by any means. I've always loved my own space so tnat was hard.

I shared a small bedroom with my sister.. both in our 20s. That was in a council house

I used to go out with a guy who shared a room with his teen sister.. he was 17 and she was 15. There was a sheet separating them. She had a kid at 15 there too. Parents owned their home.

4 bedroom = (1) parents (2) child 1 (3) child 2 (4) guest bedroom or study

Not possible for everyone but not "bonkers"

Me & my OH have one bedroom. My 37yr old Son has the 2nd bedroom. My 30yr old Son has the 3rd bedroom & my 40yr old daughter sleeps on the sofa in the living room.
She's just split with her partner.
They all work full time but on nmw. They can't afford to buy on their own. The rentals in Stoke-on-Trent are slums & I would not want them to be living in one so they just stay squeezed in at home. There's no assistance for people who work & who have a roof over their heads even if your bed is a settee.
I don't know what the future holds but this lack of decent affordable one bed rentals for working people isn't on any politicians to do list.

I sleep in the sitting room. Noone is wandering around me - they are sleeping in their rooms. Much nicer to sleep in an airy room that what she describes and plus her set up would make the sitting room smaller - neither of which I would like.

While I would prefer my own space, I don't stare at my bed as it is a sofa bed. However, my best friend has her bed in the sitting room and it's not unpleasant to 'stare at her bed' - it's a nice bed. It's what people do in a bedsit after all,

I imagine they top and tailed. When I first got together with my ex- husband as teenagers we shared his child size bed (smaller than a standard single) at his mum's flat!

But isn’t the point of this thread that these sorts of living situations are indicative of the housing crisis we are living in? People shouldn’t be having to eat in the same room that they sleep because there is nothing else affordable