Britain’s housing crisis has pushed an increasing number of older adults onto the streets, where they are forced to live in vans parked on public kerbside. In Brighton, 67‑year‑old Ellen and 68‑year‑old Steve Brown have spent the past nine years sheltering themselves and their dogs in a cramped vehicle on the edge of the South Downs National Park. Their story highlights a growing national trend of “van dwelling” as a last resort for people who cannot secure affordable accommodation.
Ellen’s journey into van life began after a personal tragedy. She tells us she lost a child several years ago and subsequently fell seriously ill, leaving her with no viable place to grieve. “I ended up in this situation because my child died a few years ago and I became incredibly unwell. I just needed to be somewhere to try and deal with my bereavement,” she says, looking down at the floor of her modestly fitted van. For the past year she has been trying to rent a permanent home with Steve, but the combined value of their state pensions falls short of the income thresholds required by landlords, leaving them with no alternative but to remain on the roadside.
Living on the kerb: daily realities
Steve, a retired bus driver who has worked since he was twelve, echoes Ellen’s frustration. “You’ve survived another day,” he says each morning, a mantra that underscores the precariousness of their existence. The pair survive on a modest pension, collect rainwater in a tank, and rely on a minor stove and log burner to keep warm. Their van is not a luxury; This proves a shelter that offers limited protection from the cold, wind, and the constant threat of enforcement actions.
Across the country, similar pockets of van dwellers have emerged in cities such as Bristol, Falmouth and Glastonbury. In Bristol, council officials note that the number of live‑in vehicles has risen sharply in recent years, prompting twice‑yearly counts that began during the COVID‑19 pandemic. Residents near popular green spaces have formed action groups and lodged complaints about waste and noise, leading the council to initiate legal proceedings aimed at extending injunctions that would allow forced removal of vehicles from certain streets.
Local residents in Brighton have expressed growing intolerance as well. Neil Ackroyd, who leads a neighbourhood action group, says, “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 points to a van with a generator that runs continuously, creating a persistent noise problem, and alleges that human waste has been left on a nearby primary school football pitch. While the council has acknowledged the concerns, it stresses that any enforcement action “can take time to reach a conclusion.”
Why vans are becoming a last‑ditch option
The surge in van dwelling is linked to a combination of soaring house prices, stagnant wages and the tightening of social‑housing eligibility. For many older adults on fixed incomes, the cost of renting a modest flat now exceeds the total of their pension and any modest savings. The phenomenon is not limited to retirees; younger people such as 26‑year‑old Jack, who lives in a small van next to his father Dave, have also turned to vehicle‑based living after losing employment and being unable to keep up with rent, council tax and utility bills.
Authorities have tried to mitigate the problem by offering “meanwhile sites” – designated parking areas that provide basic facilities such as water, toilets and waste disposal for a modest fee. In Bristol, there are currently 65 such sites, but demand far outstrips capacity, leaving many to resort to informal kerbside encampments.
Council responses and legal challenges
Brighton & Hove Council has issued a statement saying it “appreciates some residents can become frustrated at the impact people living in vans can have, but it is not true to say the council is not acting.” The council adds that it is working with its legal team to address “a number of vehicles in the city” and that any enforcement “is not a quick process.” In Bristol, the city council has taken a more aggressive stance, filing court proceedings to broaden an existing injunction that would empower officials to evict van dwellers who refuse to relocate.
Both councils stress that their priority is to “support people into suitable accommodation” where possible, but the scale of the housing shortage means that many individuals remain trapped in a cycle of temporary solutions and legal uncertainty.
What lies ahead for van dwellers
For Ellen and Steve, the immediate future hinges on whether they can secure a rental property that meets the income criteria set by landlords. “I’m trying to fund a permanent home,” Ellen says, noting that estate agents often demand higher incomes or larger deposits than she can provide. Until the housing market adjusts or additional support mechanisms are introduced, many will continue to live on the kerb, subject to the whims of council enforcement and community pressure.
Nationally, the trend of van dwelling is likely to persist as long as affordable housing remains out of reach for large segments of the population. Monitoring how local authorities balance enforcement with provision of safe, legal parking solutions will be crucial in determining whether this makeshift lifestyle becomes a permanent fixture of the UK’s social landscape.
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