Would you expect to be living in a house without carpets or other floor covering?

Research published recently by The National Centre for Social Research identifies as many as 760,000 living without flooring in all rooms the majority in social housing.

Listening to the BBC news today, there was an article on how housing associations (and probably private landlords) are ripping out carpets from properties when they become vacant as they feel it is more hygienic than leaving them in place for the next tenant. This is understandable in one way although, there is an argument, that it would make more sense to clean them if they are in good condition rather than throwing them away, the disposal of which must cost money and, when we are looking to cut down on waste, would seem to be wasteful.

This is something that we often see when our clients are moving into new properties. They have no floor coverings and, unfortunately, it is not seen as an essential when it comes to grants that are provided through the local authority. The cost of carpets means that people may have to wait a very long time in order to save up as they have other more pressing needs. Yet, the feel of a house, as well as the benefits in terms of insulation, both sound and heat, are greatly improved by such a simple thing.

At Manchester City Mission we are so blessed to be able to work as advocates for Acts 435 who supply, through donations, small pots of money for needs that can’t be met through other means. We are also grateful for those companies who will work with us to try to get the best solution for our clients at a reasonable cost.

Small things can make such a big difference to people’s lives and carpets or flooring really change a house into a home.