‘If Walls Could Talk’. The issue of unfit housing has never been more important

We have just published a report into unfit housing covering the main markets in which we trade - the UK, France, Poland, Romania and Spain. Called If Walls Could Talk, the report paints a stark picture of the large numbers of people living in difficult conditions and how, as we spend more time at home because of the coronavirus pandemic, their experience of this has become worse.

Our research found the same issues affecting people in all the markets covered in the research. In the UK, 18% of people feel they are living in housing with persistent substantial problems such as damp, cold, overcrowding, and structural problems or disrepair, with little or no control over fixing them. The figures were 30% in France, 29% in Poland, 29% in Romania and 27% in Spain. In fact, although these countries are spread across Europe, the top three issues in all five countries were the same - too cold, too noisy, too damp.

The 7,000 people we polled told us that these issues have kept them awake at night or impacted them financially; that they have meant their children have struggled to study; or that the problems have had a negative impact on their wellbeing.

From previous research we know that a sense of control – or having the power to make changes – is key to feeling happy at home[i]. Yet people living in unfit homes are less likely to feel that they have any control over its issues, with Covid-19 bringing this into even sharper focus. While many people felt ‘safe’ (57%-70%) in their homes during the pandemic, many of those living in unfit homes said they felt ‘trapped’ (52%-62%).

So, what can we do about it?

At Kingfisher, our purpose is to help make better homes accessible for everyone, and we seek to understand how people want to live in their homes. We want to ensure that more people know what it is like to wake up in a home that’s safe, dry and warm. To welcome family and friends into a home they feel proud of. That is why we’ve made tackling unfit housing a priority as part of our responsible business plan. We want to help bring about real change.

We know it will take a multi-sector, whole-society approach to do this, so we are working with partners in each of the key markets in which we operate. In the UK, we are supporting Shelter to extend its emergency helpline so that more people can access help and advice in winter, while in France we are supporting Fondation Abbé-Pierre.

Over 2020 and into 2021, we will be launching a network of Foundations to enable our retail banners to support local charities who provide, maintain, repair, and improve housing and community spaces. These Foundations will be funded by annual donations from Kingfisher, as well as fundraising by colleagues and customers in each market.

If Walls Could Talk reveals the very real difficulties people across our markets face in their homes every day. These are issues that are difficult to fix. They need much more work and collaboration at all levels of society, including government, social organisations, NGOs and businesses. But I believe that the action we’re taking at Kingfisher and across our banners can help make a difference.

We have a shared commitment across each of our markets, at all of our retail banners, to work together, inside and outside of Kingfisher, to create safe, healthy homes for everyone. Click here to find out how you can join us to take action to tackle unfit housing.

 [i] GoodHome Report 2019, The Happiness Research Institute, Kingfisher and B&Q