Housing crisis in City of Westminster reaching tipping point, warns new research from Z2K

People at the sharp end of the housing crisis in the City of Westminster are living in stark conditions, often without access to basic facilities, warn two new coproduced reports published this week by Z2K.   

The reports, developed in collaboration with people facing the brunt of the City of Westminster’s housing crisis, were launched this week at an event in the Houses of Parliament, hosted by MP for Cities of London and Westminster, Rachel Blake. The event presented the manifesto, survey and focus group results and creative writing pieces from our Private Rented Sector in Westminster project. Attendees could also engage with a multi-sensory exhibition and animation from our Temporary Accommodation in Westminster project. Participants from both projects gave speeches at the event and shared their lived experience with councillors, Westminster City Council officials and colleagues from across the housing sector.

Westminster City Council, which is under majority control of the Labour party for the first time ever, has pledged to take bold action to address the housing crisis in the area. The council has taken some welcome steps forward to improve standards for people struggling with their housing situation, but the findings of Z2K’s work suggest that there is much more to do. 

Z2K conducted focus groups and a survey of private renters in the borough to develop a renters’ manifesto. With one in eight renters in the borough living in unsafe homes, and with the least affordable private rented sector in London, the manifesto highlights that renters in the City of Westminster are living in highly precarious conditions. The manifesto urges the council to do more to crack down on rogue landlords, and also calls for the council to support calls for a limit on rent increases.  

Z2K has also worked with two peer researchers with personal experience of living in temporary accommodation, who conducted in-depth interviews with 16 households living in temporary accommodation across the borough. The research report finds that with homelessness in the City of Westminster up a staggering 36% in just a year, families are being left in limbo for years, with little to no information about when they will be rehoused. The report calls on the council to provide financial support to those placed in unsuitable accommodation and improve communication with residents. 

Anela Anwar, chief executive of Z2K, said: 

‘Across the UK, homelessness is spiraling and rents are increasing. The situation in the City of Westminster, where rent levels and temporary accommodation use are some of the highest in the country, acts as a warning about where the national housing crisis could be headed. 

‘Westminster renters are struggling with unaffordable rents and poor conditions. Households in Westminster temporary accommodation find themselves living in unstable conditions, sometimes at the expense of the health of children. 

‘The council has made welcome progress on its pledge to address the housing crisis in Westminster, but it is clear that there is much more that needs to be done. We are calling on Westminster City Council to take action to improve standards for those at the sharp end of the housing crisis.’ 

Sara (name changed), a member of Z2K’s private renters steering group, said: 

‘Rising rents and a lack of landlord accountability make securing stable and safe housing increasingly difficult. Tenants like me often feel punished rather than supported. We need action to improve affordability and improve security.’ 

Louise (name changed), a peer researcher on Z2K’s temporary accommodation research project, said: 

‘My own experience of temporary accommodation as a single parent felt like screaming in a sound-proofed room. You are always on the verge, on tenterhooks, never knowing when you’ll get told to leave. Meaningful dialogue is needed to free people living in temporary accommodation from the state of limbo they find themselves in.’