No one should have to choose between paying the rent and putting food on the table. Yet for thousands of low-income families across the North East, that has become a reality.
New research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has found that 82% of low-income households renting privately in the North East have gone without essentials such as food, heating, toiletries or other basic items in the past six months which is the highest proportion anywhere in the UK.
The anti-poverty charity said the figures highlight the growing pressure facing renters and has urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s government to introduce reforms to make housing more affordable.
Across the UK, the JRF estimates 7.4 million low-income families have been unable to afford everyday essentials in the last six months – the highest number recorded since it began tracking the cost of living crisis in 2021.
The latest figures come just days after separate research found 43,000 households in the North East are homeless or living in overcrowded or otherwise unsuitable accommodation.
The charity’s findings also reveal how little financial resilience many renters have.
Almost half (47%) of low-income private renters in the North East have no savings at all, while almost one in five say they struggle to keep up with rent payments.
The North East’s figure of 82% compares with a UK average of 77%, and is significantly higher than neighbouring regions including the North West (75%) and Yorkshire and the Humber (72%).
The JRF is calling for rent controls that would cap annual rent increases at the lower of inflation or earnings growth.
It estimates such a measure could save the average renter in the North East around £270 a year.
Darren Baxter, Principal Policy Adviser at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “The rate at which private rents are increasing might be slowing down, but rents still take up too great a share of renters’ incomes.
“Unaffordable rents leave families in the North East without enough money to afford the essentials, like food, heating and basic toiletries. No one should have to choose between paying their rent and paying for food. Done right, rent controls are feasible and should merit serious consideration from anyone concerned about the cost of living.”
Separate analysis by Iceni Projects, carried out for the North East Combined Authority, described affordability as the “defining challenge” facing the region’s private rented sector.
The report warned that rents are rising faster than incomes, with younger households under the greatest financial pressure. It also found the average tenancy length has increased from 3.5 years to 4.7 years since 2014, while 42% of renters do not expect to ever buy a home.
Regional leaders have repeatedly warned that more affordable housing is urgently needed.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has pledged to deliver 15,000 new affordable and social homes across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham over the next decade.
