Climate change creates housing crisis as flood-damaged homes become unsellable across britain

Christine, a 70-year-old great-grandmother from Trowell, Nottinghamshire, approaches her flood-prone home with dark humor. “I wouldn’t worry about taking your shoes off,” she tells visitors, “I’ll be getting a new carpet soon enough when it floods again.” But behind the jokes lies a devastating reality: her home has become completely unsellable due to repeated flooding.

In 2020, a local brook burst its banks, sending water cascading into Christine’s bungalow and the homes of her elderly neighbors, Jackie, 67, and Rhona, 76. The aftermath was catastrophic—floorboards, skirting boards, kitchen cupboards, and entire bathrooms had to be ripped out and discarded. Doors were torn from hinges, appliances destroyed, and furniture reduced to waterlogged waste destined for skips.

Christine’s situation reflects a growing crisis across Britain, where increasingly frequent and severe flooding is rendering properties unmarketable. Climate change is intensifying rainfall patterns and overwhelming aging flood defenses, leaving homeowners trapped in a cycle of damage, repair, and renewed flooding. For many elderly residents like Christine and her neighbors, the financial and emotional toll is crushing—they face the prospect of being unable to move or sell their homes while living under the constant threat of the next flood.

This housing crisis highlights a critical gap in climate adaptation planning, as communities struggle with the reality that some areas may no longer be viable for long-term habitation without massive infrastructure investment.