Most working-class dwelling, however, were little more than cheap soot-covered structures joined next to each other in long rows along waste-littered streets. Homes became nothing more than places providing a bed and a place to escape the elements. (Wukovits 43)
The only difference of living between a workhouses and one of these homes, was that the family was not split up and that the family was not told what to do. Other than that, families still lived in cramp places, did not have much rations of food and worked very hard just to survive. These families were not living much better than dogs out on the street. During the Victorian Era, health was a major issue for the working class. People would die at a young age of infection or disease. Infection was very common due to the lack of cleanliness in urban areas.
Infection including TB and other lung infections such as pneumonia; epidemics (scarlet fever, small pox, influenza, typhoid, cholera, etc.), with spread often linked to poor sanitation: and the sexually transmitted diseases. (Clayton & Rowbothan