Locked Out Commonweal Housing

Transitions, such as those between services, localities and life stages, can cause significant disruption in some people’s lives, and can increase their risk of housing insecurity and homelessness. This episode is the second  of two parts focussing on the housing challenges that arise for people experiencing periods of transition. 

This week, we’re looking particularly at the social injustices faced by people making the transition out of homelessness. From long term challenges like addiction and poor mental health, to difficulties securing a job or moving off benefits, to a lack of tailored options for migrants with No Recourse to Public Funds - we’ll be talking about why tackling homelessness is about more than putting a roof over someone’s head.
With us to talk about these issues are Bill Tidnam, CEO of Thames Reach, and Ben Phillips-Farmer, Support and Communications Worker at Rentstart.
Later on in the episode we also caught up with Commonweal CEO Ashley Horsey to hear his perspective on the Locked Out anthology and podcast findings.

This episode is the last of the Locked Out series – we hope you’ve enjoyed these conversations with expert guests on the links between housing and social injustice.

Resources mentioned in this episode include: 
The Locked Out anthology, available for free download at: commonwealhousing.org.uk/lockedout

The Peer Landlord project, run in partnership by Thames Reach and Commonweal Housing:
https://www.commonwealhousing.org.uk/projects/peer-landlord
The Freedom2Work project, run in partnership by Rentstart and Commonweal Housing: https://www.commonwealhousing.org.uk/projects/freedom2work 


Follow Commonweal on Twitter @CommonwealTweet and Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/commonweal-housing-limited 

Follow Thames Reach on Twitter @ThamesReach and Facebook at facebook.com/thames.reach

Follow Rentstart on Twitter and Facebook @Rentstart. 

Transitions, such as those between services, localities and life stages, can cause significant disruption in some people’s lives, and can increase their risk of housing insecurity and homelessness. This episode is the first of two parts focussing on the housing challenges that arise for people experiencing periods of transition.   
In part one, we’re talking about housing for young people leaving care. Too many care experienced people continue to find their most basic needs unmet by both the housing and care systems as they make the difficult transition to independence.
Connie and Megan spoke to Katharine Sacks-Jones, CEO of Become, the charity for children in care and young care leavers as well as Henrietta Imoreh, a career consultant for people with experience of the care system, and a lifetime campaigner on tackling the over-representation of looked after children in the criminal justice system. Later on they also spoke to Iqra Saeed, who sits on East Midlands fostering panel The Adolescent and Children’s Trust  or TACT, and is an advisor on their new alumni scheme for care experienced individuals.  
Please be aware that this episode includes description of suicide and self-harm, as well as discussion of trauma, addiction and poor mental health. If you have been affected by these issues, please take care when listening to this episode. Details of support are available below:  
If you need to talk right now: 
call Samaritans on 116 123 (UK-wide) text SHOUT to 85258 (UK-wide) Become's advice line for children in care and young care leavers: Freephone 0800 023 2033 or email advice@becomecharity.org.uk. 
Talk to Frank: https://www.talktofrank.com/  tel:03001236600  
Contact Childline: 08001111 https://www.childline.org.uk/  
 
Resources mentioned in this episode: 
Read the Locked Out anthology, available for free download at commonwealhousing.org.uk/lockedout
Follow Commonweal: @CommonwealTweet https://www.linkedin.com/company/commonweal-housing-limited
Become: https://www.becomecharity.org.uk/ Twitter: @Become1992
TACT: https://www.tactcare.org.uk/
EY Foundation employability programme for young people in care: https://www.ey.com/en_uk/corporate-responsibility/ey-foundation/our-programmes
Lighthouse children’s home: https://lighthousechildrenshomes.org.uk/
Urban Retreat: http://urbanretreat.space/
Norman Galloway lettings: https://www.normangalloway.co.uk/tenants
Drive Forward: https://driveforwardfoundation.org/
Catch 22: https://www.catch-22.org.uk/
Working Chance: https://workingchance.org/
The Topé project: https://twitter.com/thetopeproject

Domestic or sexual violence and housing insecurity too often go hand-in-hand. For survivors of domestic abuse, including physical, emotional and economic abuse, the processes of leaving an abusive home are far more complex than they may seem. Women who have experienced extensive abuse including in childhood often go on to experience complex and overlapping disadvantages like addiction, poor mental health and homelessness. In turn, life on the streets or in insecure housing can expose women to further violence.   
In this episode of Locked Out, we talk to Rebecca Vagi of the Domestic Abuse and Housing Alliance (DAHA) and Georgie Barron of the Nelson Trust about why stable housing is vital for survivors of violence against women and girls, and why housing remains out of reach for the most vulnerable survivors who need it most. 


Listen and subscribe to Locked Out on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Buzzsprout at lockedout.buzzsprout.com 
Read the Locked Out anthology: commonwealhousing.org.uk/lockedout
And connect with DAHA and the Nelson Trust online at:
www.dahalliance.org.uk
https://nelsontrust.com/ 
 
If you or a loved one is experiencing domestic abuse, you can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 for help and advice. You can find more organisations to contact for support at https://www.gov.uk/report-domestic-abuse.  

Black and minoritized women face multiple barriers to safe and secure housing, including being at higher risk of experiencing domestic violence. Specialist organisations can provide trauma-informed housing support to victims of racial and gender-based violence – but with shrinking resources and skyrocketing demand, it’s become harder than ever to house the women who need it most.
In this episode of Locked Out, we’ll be asking Christina Ioannou and Gabriela Quevedo of Latin American Women's Aid (LAWA) why survivors of colour are so often prevented from accessing the housing they need, and how small expert charities can be better supported to serve their needs.


Listen and subscribe to Locked Out on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Buzzsprout at lockedout.buzzsprout.com 
Read the Locked Out anthology: commonwealhousing.org.uk/lockedout

And connect with LAWA online at https://lawadv.org.uk/en/, on Instagram @lawalondon and on Twitter @LAWALondon.


If you or a loved one is experiencing domestic abuse, you can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 for help and advice. You can find more organisations to contact for support at https://www.gov.uk/report-domestic-abuse.  

For people in contact with the criminal justice system, access to safe housing is vital to moving onto independent and stable lives. Yet too many people are trapped in a devastating cycle of homelessness and offending. 
In episode two of Locked Out, we ask why it is so hard for people in contact with the criminal justice system to access housing - and what needs to change?
Building on the themes explored in their contributions to the Locked Out anthology, Nicola Drinkwater (Clinks) and Jess Southgate (Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk) discuss why so many people leave prison into homelessness, and the devastating impact this can have on their lives. We took a particular look at how the Coronavirus pandemic has impacted the justice system, and how all of these issues have a particular impact on women. 
Listen to all this and more in this week’s episode of Locked Out, and subscribe to get updates on upcoming episodes, coming out every other Wednesday over October, November and December.
Listen to the episode on all podcast streaming platforms, or subscribe on BuzzSprout here: lockedout.buzzsprout.com 
Read the Locked Out anthology: commonwealhousing.org.uk/lockedout