Number of UK renters crowdfunding to meet housing costs hits record levels

Contributions to rent support crowdfunders on GoFundMe have risen by 60% since 2022 according to the platform, as more than 100,000 people a month donated to help others meet their housing costs.

More rent-related fundraisers were set up in April than any month on record, according to GoFundMe.

A spokesperson for the fundraising website said there had been a growth in the number of people using the platform to cover their housing costs, and said it showed that "when someone finds the courage to ask for help, their community shows up for them".

51-year-old Andrew Foster told The Guardian that GoFundMe was the only way he could afford to pay his rent after it increased by 50% .

He told the newspaper: “The only way I could find the funds to cover the move was to turn to GoFundMe, although I had to take out a loan as well."

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Mr Foster, an artist and full-time carer for his wife, was overwhelmed by the success of the fundraiser, with one person even donating £300.

“It’s depressing and humiliating – the first thing you have to swallow is your pride and just get out there and ask," he added.

Tayla Hopkins, a shared ownership leaseholder, used GoFundMe to help pay for their flat's service charge after it went up from £800 to £4,600 a year.

The 33 year old from Birmingham managed to raise £2,421 within a few weeks, after being inundated by messages of support from friends and family, the Guardian reported.

They said they hoped it would highlight the rising costs faced by those living in shared ownership schemes - despite being advertised as an affordable route to homeownership for first time buyers.

It comes amid a rise in the number of families applying to local councils for emergency help paying rent and bills.

More than 300,000 families a year in England and Wales applied to their local authority for discretionary housing payments between 2021-22 and 2023-24, according to Freedom of Information requests.

The number of applications increased by 40% from 96,000 in 2021-22 to more than 134,000 in 2023-24.