This article is an external press release originally published on the Landlord News website, which has now been migrated to the Just Landlords blog.
Daisy May Hudson received a phone call from her mother in 2013 to say that their family home was being sold, and they would thus be evicted, after living there for 13 years.
Since then, Daisy has been making a documentary of her experiences with homelessness, called Half Way. Details of the film can be found at www.halfwayfilm.co.uk.
Whilst living in the house, the rent had stayed fairly stable. However, when Daisy’s mother began looking at other rents in the area, it became clear that properties were now out of her price range.
Daisy describes the realisation: “Our whole world collapsed. When you lose your home, you lose the way you relate to everything around you, and the way you define yourself.
“It’s the place where you create relationships, and discuss the weight of the world. When that’s taken away from you, you feel paralyzed, empty, and completely violated.”
The housing crisis has been in the news for a long time now. However, Daisy believes that it has gone on for such a long time that we have become “desensitised” to the issue.
However, it is still near impossible for people to get onto the property ladder. With stagnant wages, high living costs, a lack of housing supply, and a competitive rental sector, the housing market is a struggle for many. Council housing used to apply to a few, but now, it is the only option for lots of people, especially in London.
There are many more people depending on council houses who would probably have rented privately, or bought a home previously. It seems that more council homes need to be built, or the private rental sector requires rent caps.
Daisy believes that the Government have not reacted correctly or efficiently in this situation. She cites this as the reason for people protesting, marching, and petitioning in a bid to save themselves from homelessness.
Daisy feels that politicians now have a “no-can-do attitude” regarding the housing crisis. They can explain why things have happened, but not what they can do to help, Daisy says.
She comments: “In most places of employment, that kind of attitude would get you fired.”
Daisy describes buy-to-let investors as greedy, and says that as they are driving up house prices, and pushing people out of their homes, a rent cap should be introduced.
She also refers to the green belt, saying that this a great opportunity for new houses: “I love Mother Nature, but making sure everyone has a place to live is important.”1
