One half of Birmingham children live in housing in deprived areas

The housing challenge for families with children in Birmingham is extensive. So many residents of the city are struggling to keep up with their bills, it is difficult to find a safe home for their family to live in in which the monthly rent is affordable. It is estimated that about 50% of children live in a deprived part of the city according to the latest data from Child Poverty Commission of Birmingham.

The data, which is pulled from an organisation that was created in partnership with the Birmingham City Council, looks at the housing situation of children under the age of 18. There are over 130,000 of them, or almost 50 per cent, that are living in areas of the city that are considered to be deprived. This includes several districts in the area, including Nechells, Sparkbrook, and others. In fact, about 8,000 children live in the top one percent of poverty stricken communities in the entire UK.

Total number of children and Birmingham families in poverty

Not only are many children living in hard hit wards, but about 37 per cent of them are from households that meet the central government guidelines of living in poverty. This definition is after their housing expenses, such as rent, mortgages, and energy bills. This is a rate that is higher than many other cities and counties in the UK.

Another startling statistic is the increase in rates of rent arrears in 2014, which is the most recently completed year, over 2013. The number of tenants that are in arrears increased over 90%. This is from families that live in council housing. While they are turning to Birmingham agencies for rental assistance, what is available to them is limited.

This means that not only are the properties that are occupied in not a desirable area, but people can’t even afford the rent on those flats. So even with the slowly improving economy in many parts of the UK, this is not trickling to many areas of the city of Birmingham.

Children goring up in these poverty stricken areas often do not have access to what they need for long term stability. There may be more crimes or unhealthy living that takes place in those wards. Also, there are additional challenges around education. All of this together also makes the goal of breaking the cycle of long term poverty even more challenging.

While in the short term, the changes to benefits such as limiting caps and restricting child tax credits may make the poverty rates even higher, the aim is to find a long term solution to bring the 50% per cent rate down. The intent is to address education as well as employment needs in the city. This can lead to households having a higher income, which will result in more stable housing.

The Birmingham Child Poverty Commission is working with other agencies and charities to come up with solutions to this housing crisis that children are forced to deal with. There will also be public consultations held across the area to get different ideas from residents of the city. Together, using the best ideas from both people and agencies, the aim is to end this crisis impacting the youth of Birmingham.