Coronavirus triggers more than one in 20 Doncaster residents to move house

Research by the think tank Demos asked 20,000 adults in parliamentary constituencies across Great Britain how the Covid-19 crisis had affected where they want to live.

In Doncaster North, seven per cent of people surveyed in December said they had recently moved house or were planning on doing so for reasons related to the pandemic.

Across Great Britain, nine per cent of survey respondents said the same.

The Chartered Institute of Housing said many people have re-evaluated where and how they want to live, as lockdown highlighted the importance of affordable, well-located, good quality housing.

Melanie Rees, head of policy and external affairs at CIH, added: "Increased working from home for those who are lucky enough to be able to do so has meant that people don’t need to be within daily commuting distance of work.

"Moving out of urban centres where house prices are high can mean that people can afford bigger, better quality housing in more pleasant surroundings.

"We have to think about the impact of this on people already living in an area who might find themselves priced out of renting or owning a home due to the house-price inflation caused by people moving in with more money to spend."

The survey showed a further four per cent of residents in Doncaster North were thinking about moving house because of the pandemic, though they had no solid plans yet.

Demos said young adults, particularly those in their mid-20s with lower incomes, were the most likely to move as a result of the pandemic.

Some students may have returned home from university prematurely, while young urban workers trying to start their careers were also affected.

The Institute for Public Policy Research, a progressive think tank, said rising house prices overwhelmingly benefit existing homeowners, while widening social and economic inequalities.

Jonathan Webb, IPPR senior research fellow, said: "The UK’s chronic undersupply of housing means that when places become popular with home movers, house prices can inflate rapidly.

"This can result in places quickly becoming unaffordable. The impacts are often felt most severely by lower income households, who can easily find themselves priced out of areas that might have previously been affordable."

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Liam Hoden, editor.