London, UK – Temporary accommodation is becoming a growing concern for households in London, as new figures have revealed that an estimated 183,000 Londoners – at least one in 50 – are currently living in temporary accommodation. These figures, released by London Councils, are the highest ever recorded level of homelessness in the capital.
The shocking statistics also show that at least one child in every classroom in London is currently living in temporary accommodation. In response to this crisis, a groundbreaking project has been initiated by Groundswell, a charity that creates solutions to end homelessness, in collaboration with temporary accommodation residents and local council staff in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
The project, which aims to find ways to improve the existing temporary accommodation system, uses theatre as a means of participatory democracy. Councillors and senior staff from Kensington & Chelsea, along with an audience of over 60 residents and staff, came together to discuss policy proposals in three key areas: the council’s approach to resident experience, triage and support, and staff systems and support.
The proposals were agreed upon following a performance and debate led by people with experience of temporary accommodation and Housing Options teams. This was the culmination of a legislative theatre (LT) programme, which held its final performance at The Tabernacle Theatre.
Joanne Drew, Co-Chair of the London Housing Directors’ Group, expressed her concern over the homelessness emergency in London, with more than one in 50 residents currently living in temporary accommodation. She also emphasized the importance of listening to and learning from the lived experiences of those in temporary accommodation and working towards improving their living conditions.
Cllr Sof McVeigh, Lead Member for Housing in Kensington & Chelsea, shared her thoughts on the project and the need for radical solutions in the face of a growing demand for temporary accommodation. She also expressed her gratitude to the participants for sharing their experiences and ideas for improvement.
Dan Hawthorn, Executive Director of Housing and Social Investment for Kensington & Chelsea Council, commended the project for providing a platform for equal participation and weight for the perspectives of residents, staff, senior managers, and other practitioners from outside the Council.
Thienhuong Nguyen, Home-Start Scheme Manager, spoke passionately about the challenges faced by families living in temporary accommodation in Kensington & Chelsea. She stressed the need for real, positive and fundamental changes to be made in response to the issues raised by Groundswell’s Legislative Theatre.
The final performance celebrated the journey of participants and provided a space for a constructive dialogue, leading to the creation of a Policy Team. The team, which includes Councillor Claire Simmonds and Executive Director for Housing and Social Investment, Dan Hawthorn, along with other staff, residents, and charity leaders from the borough, made pledges to implement or make progress on the day’s discussions and presentations within the next six weeks. Some of the key themes identified during the event included funding limitations, staff and resident wellbeing, interaction styles, accountability, technological issues, and cross-working.
Katy Rubin, a legislative theatre practitioner and co-leader of the project, described legislative theatre as an innovative participatory policy-making practice with a strong track record of success among local and regional governments in the UK and internationally. She expressed her excitement for Kensington and Chelsea Council and residents to join this growing movement and work towards improving services through collaboration.
Michael Chandler, CEO of Groundswell, expressed his excitement for overseeing and facilitating this important project, which led to significant commitments from Kensington & Chelsea senior management and councillors. He emphasized the importance of amplifying the voices and participation of those with lived experiences to bring about real, meaningful change.
The project was commissioned by the London Housing Panel Temporary Accommodation Working Group, a collaboration between the Panel, the London Housing Directors’ Group (LHDG), and the Greater London Authority with the support of Trust for London.
Groundswell, the organization leading the project, works with people with experience of homelessness to create solutions for ending homelessness. They aim to address four key issues: homelessness, health inequalities, lack of participation in service delivery and policy, and a society that does not work for everyone. They achieve this by ensuring access to healthcare, offering progression opportunities for people with experience of homelessness, and creating change in policy and practice.
For more information, please visit Groundswell’s website at www.groundswell.org.uk.
[1] “Emergency” warning issued as London homelessness hits new records | London Councils – Localgov Drupal. Retrieved from https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/press-release/03-11-2020/emergency-warning-issued-london-homelessness-hits-new-records
