as a result relative poverty measured as household incomes below of median income has been contained between and the proportion of individuals with household incomes below of median income fell from to before housing costs and from to after housing costs relative child poverty fell from to before such costs a reduction of over a quarter but short of the previous government objective of halving relative child poverty by jin et al the housing cost overburden rate the percentage of the population living in households where the total housing costs net of housing allowances represent more than of disposable income eu housing statistics is one of highest in the european union eu reaching nearly in for tenants in the private sector compared to an eu average of recent cuts to housing benefits and the removal of indexation on actual market rents from april will increase the burden further for lowincome tenants in private rental