Van Dwellers Forced to Live on Kerbs Amid UK Housing Crisis
Ellen, a 67-year-old grandmother, looks down as she reflects on how she ended up living in a van on the edge of Brighton's South Downs National Park. "I ended up in this situation because my child died a few years ago and I became very unwell. I just needed to be somewhere to try and deal with my bereavement," she explains. For nine years, Ellen has called a van home, accompanied by her dogs, and for over a year, she has searched for a permanent residence without success, citing housing shortages and financial constraints as insurmountable barriers.
Struggles of Elderly Van Dwellers
Steve Brown, a 68-year-old retired bus driver who lives nearby, shares a similar plight. Every day, he thinks to himself, "You've survived another day." He and Ellen have attempted to rent a place together using their combined pensions, but they cannot meet the income thresholds required by landlords. "I've worked all of my life, from the age of 12 years old, so I've never asked for anything from the government. Now I've got my pension, and that's it," Steve says. Their stories underscore a distressing trend in the UK: van dwelling as a symptom of the deepening housing crisis.
National Rise in Van Encampments
Van encampments are proliferating across the country, with hotspots in cities like Bristol, Brighton, Falmouth, and Glastonbury. While some choose this lifestyle, many are driven by the cost of living and a severe shortage of affordable housing. In Bristol, the van-dwelling capital of the UK, there are over 600 live-in vehicles, a number that has quadrupled in the last five years, according to council data. Twice-yearly counts since the COVID pandemic reveal kerbside van numbers have increased, with vehicles found at 107 different locations in the last six months alone.
Community Tensions and Council Actions
The presence of these vans has sparked rising anger among local residents. In Bristol, an action group has formed to remove van dwellers from The Downs, a protected beauty spot, citing issues like human waste and fly-tipping. The council has initiated legal proceedings to extend injunctions, allowing forcible evictions if necessary. Similarly, in Brighton, 75-100 people live in vehicles, with some parked near a primary school playing field for months. Homeowners describe them as an eyesore, with complaints about noise and sanitation problems.
Neil Ackroyd, leading a local action group, states, "Residents here are very tolerant, but everyone has their breaking point. It's a nice area with lots of young families and people are understandably concerned." He reports incidents of human excrement found on school grounds, though Sky News has not verified these claims. Brighton and Hove Council asserts it is taking action, working to support people into accommodation and pursuing enforcement where needed, but acknowledges the process is slow.
Personal Stories of Hardship
Dave Knight, a van dweller in Bristol, has lived in his camper van for six years after work dried up and he could no longer afford rent. "It's not just the rent, it's the council tax, the bills," he explains. Despite adding comforts like a stove and wood panelling, he endures harsh winters. His son Jack, 26, lives nearby in his own van, having left his IT support job to avoid homelessness. "All my money would pretty much go to [rent] and food," he says, viewing van ownership as a step toward stability.
To assist, Bristol has established 65 "meanwhile sites" offering pitches with basic amenities for a fee. Back in Brighton, Steve shows his cramped van, using a rainwater tank for washing dishes, while Ellen's van is cosy with decorations and a log burner. After years of bereavement, she is ready to find a permanent home but faces obstacles. "Now I'm trying to get back into a house but because of the housing shortage and the demands that the estate agents put on you, I've found it incredibly difficult," she says.
A Call for Understanding
When asked about critics, Steve responds bluntly, "Anybody that says, 'you shouldn't be living like that'...get your chequebook out. Write a nice cheque, buy us a nice piece of land, or donate us a house, or shut your mouth. Simple as that." This growing issue highlights the urgent need for solutions to the UK's housing crisis, as more individuals turn to vans not by choice, but necessity.
