Media Storm

S3E8 Housing crisis: A lifetime in ‘temporary’ accommodation - with Kwajo Tweneboa


Listen Later

Hey listeners! We've launched a Patreon. If you want to support us for a small monthly fee, head to patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast


Media Storm will be LIVE at London Podcast Festival, Saturday 16th September at 7pm. BOOK your tickets now: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/media-storm-2/


Content warning: This episode features mentions of domestic abuse, self-harm, and addiction.


The definition of temporary is ‘lasting for only a limited period of time; not permanent’. Yet in the UK, more and more families are finding themselves in temporary accommodation which feels anything but short-lived.


With reports of people living for multiple years in so-called 'temporary' housing, just last month, government statistics showed that the number of households in temporary accommodation in England had hit a 25-year high: nearly 105,000 households, including more than 131,000 children. And that's not all - we've heard from families who have lived together in one hotel room for months on end, who have stayed in places with damp, mould, a lack of heating, or worse.


So how is this ever worsening crisis solved? This week, Media Storm sets out to speak to people who have lived in temporary accommodation and ask them what they think the solutions are. Plus, we hear from the chair of the London Housing Panel about bringing lived experience into policy-making, and from London's Deputy Mayor for Housing Tom Copely.


We are joined in the studio by social issues campaigner and presenter Kwajo Tweneboa, who, after experiencing the UK housing crisis first-hand, is leading the charge for meaningful housing reform.


Featured:

With thanks to Aishah Siddiqa at Heard heard.org.uk, the charity working with people and the media to inspire content and communication that changes hearts and minds, for putting us in touch with Rebecca, Aga, and Jenni.

  • @londonrentersunion
  • @tomcopley
  • trustforlondon.org.uk/what-we-do/housing/london-housing-panel/
  • @kwajotweneboa

  • Sources:

    • English Housing Survey data https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-housing-survey-2015-to-2016-headline-report 
    • Latest figures on temp housing https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statutory-homelessness-in-england-january-to-march-2023/statutory-homelessness-in-england-january-to-march-2023

    • Your hosts are @helenawadia and @mathildamall. Music by Samfire @soundofsamfire.


      Media Storm was launched by the house of The Guilty Feminist and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

      Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/media-storm.


      Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store

      Media StormBy Mathilda Mallinson and Helena Wadia

      • 5
      • 5
      • 5
      • 5
      • 5

      5

      12 ratings


      More shows like Media Storm

      View all
      Newscast by BBC News

      Newscast

      657 Listeners

      Today in Focus by The Guardian

      Today in Focus

      994 Listeners

      The Guilty Feminist by Deborah Frances-White

      The Guilty Feminist

      1,548 Listeners

      The Slow Newscast by The Observer

      The Slow Newscast

      166 Listeners

      The Story by The Times

      The Story

      265 Listeners

      The Rest Is Politics by Goalhanger

      The Rest Is Politics

      3,081 Listeners

      The News Agents by Global

      The News Agents

      1,066 Listeners

      Pod Save the UK by Crooked Media

      Pod Save the UK

      701 Listeners

      Sara & Cariad's Weirdos Book Club by Plosive

      Sara & Cariad's Weirdos Book Club

      56 Listeners

      The Rest Is Entertainment by Goalhanger

      The Rest Is Entertainment

      992 Listeners

      The Louis Theroux Podcast by Spotify Studios

      The Louis Theroux Podcast

      581 Listeners

      When It Hits the Fan by BBC Radio 4

      When It Hits the Fan

      56 Listeners

      Electoral Dysfunction by Sky News

      Electoral Dysfunction

      103 Listeners

      Everything Is Content by Beth, Ruchira & Oenone

      Everything Is Content

      27 Listeners

      The News Meeting by The Observer

      The News Meeting

      16 Listeners