Double the number of children in poor housing

TWICE as many children are living in poor housing conditions than before the economic boom with dampness, disrepair and overcrowding part of their daily lives.

Their accommodation makes them more prone to asthma, diarrhoea, infections and headaches, and the psychological stress leaves them vulnerable to developing behavioural problems and difficulties at school.

A study of housing and its impact on children found just under 50,000 children were assessed by local authorities as living in unsatisfactory conditions and in need of rehousing in 2002, compared with just under 25,000 in 1991.