A guide on overcrowding and under occupation for social housing is the new tool for landlords, to help them review and progress their approach in tackling these issues. The guide is called: The guide on Overcrowding and Under Occupation: Self- Assessment for Social Landlords.

The guide looks at ways in which to avoid under occupation, reviewing allocations schemes, private rented sector options, cash incentive schemes to assist home purchase through low cost market housing, making the best use of existing space for overcrowded households and information on joint working and partnerships.

It has been produced by the Homelessness Action Team which is jointly managed by the Tenant Services Authority and Communities and Local Government. The team employ people for public sector housing jobs, in order to work with social housing landlords and local authorities to tackle homelessness, overcrowding and under occupation.

Homelessness Action Team Project Manager Tim Gray said: "Living in overcrowded accommodation can have a devastating effect on families. Under-achievement at school can be caused by a lack of space for children to do their homework, and older children may spend more time outside the home on the streets simply to find privacy. Children growing up in difficult housing conditions, including in overcrowded households, are 25% more likely to suffer severe ill-health and disability during childhood and early adulthood. Under-occupation is also a major issue, as there are twice as many under-occupiers in the social housing sector as there are overcrowded households. We're encouraging social housing landlords to look at their current allocation schemes and identify where tenants who might be under occupying large homes can move into smaller social housing properties."

Around 554,000 households in England are overcrowded, with 234,000 of these being in the social housing sector.