High housing costs are forcing couples to put off having children and persuading some would-be buyers to consider taking part in medical research to raise funds for a deposit, it was claimed on Friday.
Two separate surveys of people aged under 40 found the high cost of renting and homeownership were having a big impact on their life choices.
Research by the housing charity Shelter found that almost a quarter of 24- to 39-year-olds delayed starting a family because housing was expensive; of these, 57% said they were delaying having children by up to five years.
The same survey found that 16% of people knew someone who had moved in with a partner earlier than they would have liked because they couldn’t afford to live alone.
The charity gave the example of Christina and her husband who had moved in with her parents a year after getting married, due to the high cost of housing.
She said: “In our situation the idea of having children seems little more than a pipedream.
“It feels almost laughable that we’ll ever own our own family home, but the only alternative is bringing up kids in unstable rented properties, which we’d rather not do unless we absolutely have to.”
Separate research by the National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations providing affordable homes in England, found a growing sense of dissatisfaction among young people at politicians’ failure to tackle the housing crisis for their generation.
The poll of 2,300 people aged 18 to 34 found that almost nine in 10 thought it was difficult to get on the housing ladder in Britain, and that 40% thought the government paid most attention to businesses when forming housing policies.
More than one in 10 told researchers they had or were considering taking a second job to raise funds for a deposit, while 4% of those questioned said they had taken part in medical trials or would consider doing so.
Of this group 15% said they were considering putting marriage and family plans on the back burner and 14% were considering moving back in with their parents to save cash.
David Orr, National Housing Federation chief executive, said: “In contrast to the baby boomers’ good fortune, our children are set to be the ‘baby doomer’ generation, with opportunities for a good start in life disappearing.”
He added: “Our polling of young people underlines the stark reality of their situation and how they feel like they are shouting into a void. They are just not being listened to by government and are left feeling completely ignored, especially when it comes to housing.”
