The G15 Residents’ Group has responded to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) call for evidence on social housing allocations and homelessness prevention, calling for a fairer, more transparent and better coordinated system that reflects residents’ needs and experiences.
Drawing on members’ lived experiences of homelessness, temporary accommodation, overcrowding and housing mobility, the response highlights inconsistencies between local authorities, poor communication and barriers that prevent people from accessing suitable homes.
One Group member, reflecting on their experience of homelessness and temporary accommodation, said:
“The impact on my mental health during those four years was just incredible. It was so demoralising raising your baby, living, eating and sleeping in a single room for years. The process of being on the housing list is so impersonal. You are just a number.”
The Group calls for more consistent allocations policies, better coordination between councils and housing associations, improved housing mobility and mutual exchange arrangements, and stronger safeguards for disabled residents and survivors of domestic abuse.
The response also stresses the importance of increasing the supply of social rented homes, making better use of existing housing and involving residents in developing policies that affect their lives.