Black Homelessness 1978

Here is a series of interviews with several young black people who talk about their struggle to find an accommodation, the lack of support from the council, and the reasons why they found themselves in this situation. Made for the UJIMAA Housing Association. West London Media Workshop. SHOTLIST - (00:00) The first interviewee talks about sharing a flat with a friend for 6 months before having to leave due to her flatmate having a baby. This was when she was 19, leading her to look for a flat for her and her brother. They had no success due to lack of money as well as housing availability. The interview is cut short due to a tape error. (01:15) The second interviewee is a young man. Two years ago he was living comfortably with a woman, but had to move to Mile End (in a place with a broken bed and windows) after that arrangement dissolved. Despite constantly checking newspapers for housing adverts, he has had to live primarily in squats, hostels and other temporary living arrangements. The majority of housing / estate agencies are white, leading him to believe that his race was a strong factor in not succeeding. (03:00) He talks about not being able to go back to his parents due to issues with he and his father, who felt he should move out of the family house when he was around 19 years old. (03:44) The interviewer asks what the council should do about it. The interviewee feels they should make provisions for young people to help them find accommodation, especially those with little money / experience in the housing market. He doesn’t think anybody could find accommodation without help, particularly those who are black as the housing market in London is predominantly white. (04:42) The third interviewee is a girl who is currently squatting with 12 other girls. Despite looking all over for alternative accommodation, agency fees are a big issue, as well as living with landlords who control their lives. In their current situation they can’t use the back kitchen or toilet due to water issues, and the council is difficult to get hold of to deal with these issues. (05:44) The fourth interviewee is a young man who has previously squatted in the Brixton area. He talks about the police coming in the middle of the night and forcing them out without giving notice, and taking them straight to the station. Although he left home voluntarily to seek more independence, he states that the most common reason for young people leaving home is due to parental issues. (07:14) He discusses the issues of being young and without work, leading to a reliance on the council who do not provide satisfactory help to people in these situations.