Survey Shows Lack Of Local Homes For Young People In The South West

Over a quarter of young people from the South West of England surveyed at the Glastonbury festival last month told researchers that the housing they needed was not available in the area and almost 28% of them were still living with their parents.

Figures from the survey underline the concern of housing experts and campaigners such as Michael Eavis, founder of the Glastonbury Festival, that young people are increasingly forced to leave the areas where they grew up in order to find a home they can afford.

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), Mendip Housing and the Aster Group asked volunteers to question 1,100 festival goers on the last weekend in June on their hopes and dreams for a home. The results will form part of a conference organised on behalf of Michael Eavis on July 24 to debate the obstacles to building more affordable housing in the South West.

Nearly two thirds (73%) of respondents were under 35 while nearly half (43%) of those surveyed were either renting from a private landlord (15%) or living with their parents/guardian (27.8 %). Just over a fifth overall (21.8%) had raised a mortgage to buy a property.


The main ambition within the next five years was for respondents to own their own house (54.8%) either outright (19.5%) or with a mortgage (35.3%) while almost a quarter (23.3%) wanted to rent from either the council or a housing association.

The survey also revealed little take up of shared equity or part own/part buy schemes which enable people to buy up to 50% of the equity of a house and pay rent to a housing association on the remainder of the equity. Less than 1% of the Glastonbury respondents were currently occupying their home in that way and less than two percent aspired to buy a home in that way in the next five years.

Mendip Housing’s Managing Director Alan Brunt said: "The survey reveals some interesting findings, particularly highlighting some changing aspirations around tenure.

"Of the people living in private rented accommodation few seem to want to continue to do this over the longer-term. While buying their own home seems to be the preferred option a quarter of respondents did see themselves as renting from councils or housing associations which demonstrates the growing need for affordable rented accommodation, particularly during these straitened times when raising a mortgage is increasingly more difficult.

"But depressingly few respondents were familiar with the concept of shared equity. This seems a disappointing missed opportunity in these ‘credit crunch’ times when this route may be a more achievable way to get onto the housing ladder which they so obviously dream of doing.

"What was pleasing to see was that four fifths of respondents (82%) said they would be pleased or OK about affordable housing being built close to where they live."

(CD/JM)