Families Skimp On Heat To Meet Housing Costs

High rents and mortgages in England mean too many families are skimping on heating and winter clothes to make ends meet, says housing charity Shelter. More than a quarter (27%) of 853 parents of under-18s said they had cut winter spending to meet housing costs. And 10% told researchers they feared being unable to pay rents or mortgages in January. The government said its work to tackle the deficit was helping more people stay in their homes. A shortage of affordable homes has left families struggling with sky-high housing costs, says the charity, while last year more than 100,000 people phoned its helpline for housing debt advice. Read more on the BBC website.