Tue, 30 Sep 2025

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 Carpet poverty: 'I cried when I saw our new home had bare and uneven floorboards'

Kassie lives in social housing, where landlords do not have to provide flooring in the bedrooms.

* A social housing property in Halifax was deemed ready for a family despite having no carpets or floor coverings in bedrooms and living areas.
* The tenant, Kassie, was shocked and upset by the condition of the home and felt it was unacceptable that landlords do not have to provide flooring in all rooms.
* Charities like Noah's Ark Centre are now stepping in to help families affected by "carpet poverty" by providing free carpets for those in need.
* The law currently only requires landlords to provide floor coverings in kitchens and bathrooms, but there are hopes that the law could change in future.
* End Furniture Poverty estimates that at least 1.2m homes have no carpet or flooring in bedrooms and living areas.
* Noah's Ark Centre has provided new carpets for over 600 homes in Calderdale since 2023 and is still helping those on a waiting list.
* The government has carried out a consultation on proposals requiring landlords to provide floor coverings in all rooms in social housing, but no response has been given yet.
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