The impact of our housing and homelessness work

Everyday people working to win billions for safe and healthy homes

Thousands of people across our network of 500+ community organisations have told us disrepair in their home is widespread and sadly stories like Jacob’s are not uncommon. Poor quality homes are taking its toll on mental and physical health and children aren’t being given the safe start in life they deserve.

As part of our national action in October 2024, we met MPs on Parliament Square to demand an end to disrepair and damp and mould and homes which are affordable to heat. The Cardiff action team held an energy efficiency workshop to provide practical support to local parents on how to make their homes warmer and more comfortable. The local housing action team have met the council to ask them how they can ensure that basic repairs are included as part of home upgrade works to reduce carbon emissions from domestic homes.

Birmingham Citizens has run fuel debt sessions helping local people navigate the complex energy system and receive the support they are entitled to. Their housing and climate action team is working with Birmingham City Council to deliver energy efficiency improvements workshops in the communities their members represent. At an assembly of over 200 people, Peterborough Citizens gained commitment from the new Mayor of Peterborough and Cambridge to work with them to significantly improve standards in social housing and privately rented homes.

Following Angela Rayner’s commitment at our General Election Assembly to create “nice homes, green homes, and ones that you want to live in” we were pleased to see Labour honouring their manifesto commitment to provide £13.2bn for the Warm Homes Plan to reduce fuel bills and improve the health of the millions of people living in cold, damp and mouldy homes. We were grateful to the backbench MPs who championed our cause in Parliament and wrote letters or asked questions of ministers to ensure the Treasury prioritised this essential funding. With the Decent Homes Standard consultation just launched and the Warm Homes Plan published in October, we are working with local leaders to ensure that this funding is delivered in the right way, to people in low-income communities who need it most.

Temporary Accommodation

Citizens UK and Trust for London collaborated successfully on a parliamentary launch of 'A long way from home: Improving the experiences of people in temporary accommodation', a new report which reveals the dire state of temporary accommodation (TA) in the UK, with thousands of families across the UK being trapped in a broken system. Previous independent research commissioned by Citizens UK, from local government expert Jack Shaw, showed that 164,000 children living in temporary accommodation in England with 56% of this figure based in London.

The launch was also co-created with Just Life and Shared Health Foundation who are key allies and partners on the TA campaign. Nine MPs and 3 Senior Council representatives were involved in the launch and committed to support the campaign.

Following the launch, South London Citizens and East London Citizens leaders were involved in launching the 5 Basics campaign in partnership with Better TA Alliance led by Trust for London. Leaders were involved in a letter-drop action to invite Council Leaders and Cabinet Members to a Community Lunch in the Autumn. Housing & homelessness were raised as common issues in delegates assemblies involving over 2,000 leaders across London.

We welcome the Chancellor's announcement of £950 million investment to help local authorities improve the quality and availability of temporary housing as well as £39bn over 10 years for affordable and social housing — a vital step towards tackling the housing crisis.

Whilst these funding announcements are promising, it is essential that local authorities work with communities to deliver homes that allow people to thrive. We are organised and ready to make this happen.