Supporting private renters during the cost of living crisis
What is the project?
In November 2022, we started our new, two-year project for London-based community groups supporting people in the private rented sector.
This project is funded by Trust for London and is the continuation of our multi-year programme to support vulnerable groups in securing and maintaining decent housing. It will integrate on and offline help to:
- help vulnerable renters understand housing and homelessness law in the context of pandemic and cost of living crisis, and
- identify ways to achieve change through legal /nonlegal mechanisms.
Why are we doing this project?
The rising cost of living and increasingly unaffordable private rental market has left hundreds of thousands of people across the country struggling to make ends meet and to secure decent and affordable housing. Many people do not realise their legal rights in relation to issues such as disrepair or eviction, and are struggling to manage their finances and commitments effectively in the context of the cost of living crisis.
We will work with small/medium sized organisations supporting these groups across London who support people who are vulnerable to poor quality housing in the private rental sector and who are disproportionately affected by the rising cost of living crisis. This may include single parents, survivors of domestic abuse; Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities; young people or people with disabilities.
What we will do
Consultation and gaps analysis
We will conduct an online consultation for private renters and those supporting people in the private rented sector to help us understand the key challenges in understanding and addressing legal problems related to the cost of living crisis and the private rented sector.
PLE programme
We will deliver four public legal education (PLE) programmes (two each year) on issues that people identify as most pressing. The programme will consist of approximately four modules which will cover some of the main legal issues surrounding the private rental sector and ways of responding to them.
Each module that we deliver will consist of:
- a short video, which will be available on YouTube during and after the project delivery, and
- an online interactive workshop to help participants build skills and confidence in applying relevant sections of the law, through group exercises and experience sharing.
Strategic events
We will facilitate four strategic events (two per year) on relevant systemic or legal issues. We will invite legal experts, campaigners, and other specialists to relate how they are attempting to create systemic change and to offer insights into the use of strategic litigation and other methods for making a difference on a larger scale.
This will lead to increased capacity of community groups to engage in influencing local/national housing policies and practice on relevant issues.
In-person workshops
We will run four in-person workshops for London-based organisations on relevant issues. These will include skills-based training to support the legal knowledge acquired during the PLE programme, and other practical issues identified through the online consultation.
Information resources
We will ensure all our relevant information resources on housing issues are kept up-to-date and are reviewed regularly to keep their content in-line with any legal changes.
If you are from a London-based group helping people living in precarious rental accommodation and you would like to hear more or participate in this programme, please get in touch with us: Rowan.Milligan@lawforlife.org.uk or Dada.Felja@lawforlife.org.uk.
Thanks to Trust for London for funding this project.
Last edited on December 5, 2022.