In this episode, we speak to Edith England (Cardiff Met University) and Neil Turnbull (Cardiff University) about LGBTQ+ housing and homeless. Edith and Neil talk us through their latest research project, which included an extensive survey of over 1000 young LGBTQ+ people about their housing situations. We talk about the policy and legislative landscape and explore what is needed to make the system fair.

Podcast notes

LGBTQ+ Homelessness Survey: https://www.instagram.com/lgbtqplushomelessnesssurvey/

UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence -

BLOG: Is queer theory relevant to LGBTQ+ homelessness? By Edith England, Neil Turnbull, Oliver Townsend. Jul 2023. https://housingevidence.ac.uk/is-queer-theory-relevant-to-lgbtq-homelessness/

BLOG: What don’t we know about LGBTQ+ homelessness (and how you can help us address that). By Edith England and Neil Turnbull. Jun 2023. https://housingevidence.ac.uk/what-dont-we-know-about-lgbtq-homelessness-and-how-you-can-help-us-address-that/

Previous episodes referenced -

with Rhiannon Sims: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hos-cache/episodes/Live-at-Scotlands-Housing-Festival-with-Rhiannon-Sims--Crisis-Scotland-e2i4ihe

with Kelly Henderson: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hos-cache/episodes/Domestic-Abuse-With-Kelly-Henderson--Addressing-Domestic-Abuse-e1umrd3/a-a9ac86q

Book reference in this episode -

In The Dreamhouse by Carmen Maria Machado: https://serpentstail.com/work/in-the-dream-house/

More information coming soon about the research report and future focus groups.

For this special episode we were delighted to be invited by the Chartered Institute of Housing to record live amongst the bustle of Scotland’s Housing Festival. We were joined by then Senior Policy Officer for Crisis Scotland, Rhiannon Sims. We spoke to Rhiannon about equalities in the current Scottish Housing Climate, about the concept of “reasonableness” and disadvantage in accessing housing and homelessness, and connecting knowledge with practice.

Podcast notes:

Crisis Scotland

https://www.crisis.org.uk/about-us/scotland/

Fund to Leave (now closed to applications)

https://womensaid.scot/information-support/fund-to-leave/#:~:text=The%20Fund%20to%20Leave%20is%20there%20to%20provide%20the%20money,options%20when%20experiencing%20domestic%20abuse.

Furnishing Futures

https://furnishingfutures.org/

Homes for Scotland – Existing Housing Need in Scotland

https://homesforscotland.com/our-work/existinghousingneedinscotland/

Housing to 2040

https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-2040-2/

I-SPHERE Research Institute

Website: https://i-sphere.site.hw.ac.uk/

Research report: Hard Edges: The reality for women affected by severe and multiple disadvantage: https://i-sphere.site.hw.ac.uk/2024/02/08/the-reality-for-women-affected-by-severe-and-multiple-disadvantage/

In The Dream House, Carmen Maria Machado

https://serpentstail.com/work/in-the-dream-house/

Rock Trust: Upstream

https://www.rocktrust.org/news-upstream-scotland/

Shelter Scotland

Website: https://scotland.shelter.org.uk/

Research: Minoritised ethnic access to social housing in Scotland at key transition points: https://scotland.shelter.org.uk/professional_resources/policy_library/minoritised_ethnic_access_to_social_housing_in_scotland_research

In this episode we speak to Emma Hock, Research Follow at the University of Sheffield, about her work looking at housing insecurity and its impacts on the health and wellbeing of children and young people. Amongst her findings, she discusses impacts including isolation, loss of friendship, negative effects on mental health, and access to education and healthcare. She also looks at what families are doing to improve the lives of young people, and what housing providers could be doing better to support them to mitigate the negative effects.

Notes

You can find the evidence review here.

Information on the Renters Reform Bill can be found here:

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmcomloc/624/report.html

https://housingevidence.ac.uk/publications/the-impact-of-regulatory-reform-on-the-private-rented-sector/

Information about research funded by Battersea Dogs and Cats Home on the benefits of pet ownership in rental accommodation can be found here.

The UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) published a working paper exploring people’s housing aspirations and choices.

For our first episode of 2024, we have a conversation with Francis Burrows, Director of Support and Service Development for Housing Association Orbit. 

Francis talks about the work the organisation does to engage with their tenants, particularly underrepresented groups, and how that work informs their policies and processes in how they support them.

Notes:

Housing Ombudsman Special Report on Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, March 2023: https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/2023/03/28/ombudsman-finds-culture-of-othering-residents-lies-at-the-heart-of-rochdale-boroughwide-housings-issues-and-identifies-lessons-for-sector/ 

Housing Ombudsman Service, Spotlight on attitudes, respect and rights - relationship of equals, January 2024: https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/reports/spotlight-on-attitudes-respect-and-rights-relationship-of-equals/ 

National Housing Federation - Chairs’ Challenge:  https://www.housing.org.uk/our-work/governance/Roadmap-to-equality/chairs-challenge/ 

Orbit: https://www.orbitcustomerhub.org.uk/about-us/

Tenant Satisfaction Measures, UK Gov: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tenant-satisfaction-measures-standard

This special episode was recorded in front of a Live Audience at SCVO’s The Gathering event at the EICC in Edinburgh. We are joined by a panel of speakers, comprising of Gordon MacRae, Assistant Director of Shelter Scotland, Aer Nicholson Clasby, who leads on Third Sector Human Rights and Equalities, and Iain Chisholm, New Migrants Action Project Leader at Positive Action in Housing. This episode takes a zoomed out look at equality in housing in Scotland through a third sector lens.

Shelter Scotland - https://scotland.shelter.org.uk/

Third Sector Human Rights and Equalities (THRE) - https://thre.org.uk/

Positive Action in Housing https://www.paih.org/

Minoritised ethnic access to social housing in Scotland at key transition points - Report by Shelter Scotland

In this bonus episode, following on from our episode with Emily Edwards of the Scottish Refugee Council, we speak to Ryan Powell, Reader in Urban Studies in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the University of Sheffield. Ryan spoke to us about the Migrant Youth Integration in Europe project, the research undertaken by the project, and the findings around the experience of young migrants in the UK, and the exclusions and displacement that they face.

The Migrant Youth Integration in Europe project

MIMY Project: https://www.mimy-project.eu/

MIMY Project - Peer research: https://www.mimy-project.eu/partners/peer-research 

MIMY Project - Outcomes: https://www.mimy-project.eu/outcomes/public-deliverables 

University of Sheffield

Migration Research Group: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/migration-research-group 

MIMY Partner profile: https://www.mimy-project.eu/partners/consortium/usfd 

Other Organisations

Chilypep: https://chilypep.org.uk/

Football Unites, Racism Divides: https://furd.org/ 

Migration Matters Festival: https://www.migrationmattersfestival.co.uk/ 

Stand & Be Counted Theatre: https://www.sbctheatre.co.uk/organisation

Young People Together:

• Documentary: https://player.sheffield.ac.uk/series/young-people-together 

• Theatre programme: https://www.sbctheatre.co.uk/events/young-people-together

In this episode, we have a sobering conversation with Emily Edwards, Housing Development Officer for the Scottish Refugee Council. Emily spoke about the current challenges in claiming asylum in the UK, further challenges in the supply and standard of housing for refugees and migrants, and the importance of community integration, amongst a host of other things.

A note on this episode, we recorded this conversation with Emily in June 2023, before the Illegal Migration Bill was passed into law in July.

AMIF Project: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/funding/asylum-migration-and-integration-funds/asylum-migration-and-integration-fund-2021-2027_en 

[RE] Illegal Migration Act:

https://scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/illegal-migration-bill-set-to-become-law/ 

New Scots Strategy: https://newscots.scot/ 

[Research] Queen Margaret University: Psychosocial Wellbeing, Integration and Protection Cluster https://www.qmu.ac.uk/research-and-knowledge-exchange/research-centres-institutes-and-knowledge-exchange-centres/institute-for-global-health-and-development/psychosocial-wellbeing-integration-and-protection-cluster/ 

AMIF New Scots: A Pathway to Social and Economic Inclusion:  https://miscintegrationresearch.org/newscots 

Scottish Refugee Council: https://scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/ 

Principles for a fair and humane asylum system: https://scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/working-for-change/policy-campaigns/about-our-policy-and-research-work/ 

In this episode, we have a great conversation with Megan Moffat, Policy and Public Affairs officer for Who Cares? Scotland. Megan tells us about the specific issues faced by Care Leavers in accessing housing, the role of local authorities as a guardian for people in care, and the fight to recognise being care experienced as a protected characteristic.

Podcast notes

Who Cares? Scotland

The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014

Petition to extend aftercare for previously looked after young people and remove the continue care age cap

Clan Childlaw – Scotland’s law centre for children and young people