Household crowding

Abstract

Household crowding is a condition where the number of occupants exceeds the capacity of the dwelling space available, whether measured as rooms, bedrooms or floor area, resulting in adverse physical and mental health outcomes (72, 73). Crowding is a result of a mismatch between the dwelling and the household. The level of crowding relates to the size and design of the dwelling, including the size of the rooms, and to the type, size and needs of the household, including any long-term visitors. Whether a household is “crowded” depends not only on the number of people sharing the dwelling, but on their age, their relationship and their sex. For example, a dwelling might be considered crowded if two adults share a bedroom, but not crowded if those adults are in a relationship (74–76). Crowding relates to the conditions of the dwelling as well as the space it provides: people may crowd into particular rooms in their home to avoid cold or uninhabitable parts of the dwelling or to save on heating and other costs (54).