‘I’m 55 and work five days a week — cost of living makes me live like a student’

A 55-year-old woman who works five days a week says she has been left with little option but to live like a student after soaring prices pushed her out of the rental market. Jennifer Lewis, a grandmother-of-two, has been residing in a house of multiple occupancy (HMO) in Cardiff’s student district of Cathays for the past eight years after rental costs in the city reached what she described as “unachievable” levels.

According to the Office for National Statistics the average rental price in Cardiff has been climbing for the past decade. In January 2015 the average rent in the Welsh capital stood at £681. More than a decade later in April 2026, the average price to rent in the city hit £1,157, nearly doubling over the ten-year period.

Ms Lewis works full time in a supermarket five days a week, yet she said she can only afford to reside in the shared property in Cathays with four other occupants, reports WalesOnline.

She said: “The prices have just gone up, especially in the housing market, and with that increasing cost it is unachievable for myself as a sole earner.”

Ms Lewis said she believes property prices have risen substantially: “There’s low-end and high-end, but that increase has been right across the board. It’s unachievable for myself and lots of other people.”

She described being able to secure a place in a shared house as “a blessing” for her as she otherwise “can’t think of the other alternative”. However, she said residing in a HMO “brings a certain level of fear” and she doesn’t know “what to expect from each tenant and what could happen at any time”. She added that this creates “quite a high level of alertness which isn’t good for your health overall”.

Ms Lewis suffers from arthritis, which she and her doctors say is exacerbated by her housing conditions. “I have pain every day, although I just think of how I can help myself with stretching and trying to keep my stress levels low,” she said.

“That’s where it’s very difficult in a shared house because you’re always on a high alert to protect yourself – it’s a form of self protection.”

Alongside her full-time job, she also carries childcare responsibilities for her grandchildren, who live with her daughter in north Cardiff.

Reflecting on juggling work and life in the shared property, she said: “Every angle is exhausting. Cooking is exhausting because I’m having to keep everything in my room wrapped up because of rummaging in cupboards in the kitchen, trying to do washing in the short space of time I have isn’t always possible. Drying isn’t always possible because of my time limits – it’s all exhausting.”

Ms Lewis revealed she has been on Cardiff Council’s housing waiting list for three years, yet believes she deserves to be placed in a higher priority category. “I understand the council has got procedures in place but I am saying now, eight years in shared housing, I am a priority,” she said.

Ms Lewis believes the council ought to construct more homes across the city and that available properties should be distributed more equitably “rather than putting people into strict pigeon holes, whether it’s for medical reasons or other”.

She went on to say: “I don’t feel that the council are looking at people’s cases more personally, because I keep pushing the health, social and safety issues in shared housing and I don’t feel the council are listening and looking at that fully.

“I am claiming a pension, I’m paying my taxes, I am child-caring and at what point do they think it’s acceptable to class a 55-year-old female living in a shared house a low priority?”

A spokesperson for the council said: “Cardiff is experiencing unprecedented demand for social housing, with the number of households seeking a home far exceeding the number of properties available. There are currently around 9,700 households on the housing waiting list in Cardiff, highlighting the significant pressure on the city’s housing system.

“Applications for housing are assessed in accordance with Cardiff’s Housing Allocations Policy, ensuring that each applicant’s individual needs, circumstances and vulnerabilities are carefully considered when determining housing priority.

“This can include factors such as homelessness, medical or welfare needs, and whether a person’s current accommodation is having a significant impact on their health or wellbeing.”

They went on to say: “Ms Lewis joined the housing waiting list in 2023 and was awarded a medium housing need priority. Her application has been reviewed on a number of occasions and her assessment remains unchanged.

“Priority for social housing is not awarded on the basis of age alone, although some housing schemes are designated for specific age groups.

“While housing preferences do not affect an applicant’s priority, they can significantly affect waiting times. We will be contacting Ms Lewis to discuss her housing options and provide advice on widening her choices, which may increase her opportunities for rehousing.

“We recognise the challenges many people face in finding affordable housing and are working to increase the supply of social homes across Cardiff as quickly and responsibly as possible.

“This includes building new council homes including new developments designed for older people, delivering major regeneration schemes, purchasing additional properties and working with housing association partners to provide more affordable homes for local residents.”