Britain's Hidden Housing Crisis Panorama

This programme contains strong language.

Britain is in the grip of a housing crisis, of a sort not seen before,

where even the most unexpected people are loseing their homes. An

investment banker now sleeps rough in Croydon. I used to come here

with my mum when she was still alive. I used to play tennis on

those tennis courts not expecting this. A small business hit trouble

and now the bank is taking the family home. It's something that's

taken years and years and years to build up and it's just gone.

grandmother who's worked all her life, then she got cancer h, to

quit her job and now the bank is taking her home too. I never

thought I'd get to 52 and be homeless. Sorry. With more people

becoming homeless and fewer homes being built, tens of thousands of

families are trapped in temporary accommodation, often living in

squalid conditions. When we go to sleep at night, we scratch and

scratch and scratch and in the morning we wake up and big dots are

over us, we've been bitten. Every two-and-a-half minutes in Britain

today, someone is threatened with loseing their home. They've got in

the door and taken owl our stuff out. Our five-year-old is crying

her eyes out. Get out until we're I grew up on a council estate up

north. Lee grew up in a flat. Both lovely families, can't complain,

but to have this, it's been absolutely lovely. To see what

we've done, what we've built up by working hard, it's quite surreal

actually, when you think from what we started. But, yeah, definitely a

dream that became reality for a while. Lee and Sharon bought their

dream home in Redbridge ten years ago for just after �500,000 with

100% mortgage and monthly payments of �2,000. The profits from Lee's

engineering business easily covered it. The business was doing well. We

was able to afford the mortgage to get a bigger house. It allowed us

to do what we've done for the last ten years or so. Everything was

going fine, from, basically since we moved in. When his main clients

stopped paying last year, Lee's engineering business collapsed.

From almost �1 million a year turnover to nothing. Since then

Lee's been unemployed and trying to find work. You feel like sometimes

"why am I bothering doing this?" You have to because I'm still

getting the calls from the mortgage company. It kicks you back into

action. You have to find something because without it, you have the

threat of loseing your family home. Lee hoped he could agree with a

plan with the Bank of Scotland to save the house. He cut back on

spending to pay for it. We had two cars. We sold one of the cars. That

was to lower costs a bit. To be perfectly honest with you, we

didn't get a lot of money for the car, but that paid for Christmas.

Stuff like that happens. The sort of stuff you do when you're younger.

You look back and laugh about it. But when you're my age, with two

kids, a family and your house around you, it's not fun. It really

isn't fun. The bank p Scotland rejected the proposed payment plan

and took them to court to repossess the house. Some days I just want to

walk away and not look back. At 3am, when you're awake and you're

thinking, oh, my God, what do we do? Where do we go? How do we get

It came with no envelope just in the porch. It's quite upsetting

really to think that's all they can do, can't knock, can't hand it to

us. It made me feel quite sick actually. That's it now. It is,

it's real, it's happening. What I do not want is the girls to be here

when they come knocking on that Monday morning. Erm... That can't

happen. I think it's just so unfair. Sorry. Lee and Sharon paid their

mortgage for more than nine years, but in six weeks, the family will

Almost 150,000 homes have been repossessed since the recession

began in 2009. Dagenham in Essex is Britain's repossession capital.

Here lenders have started proceedings on one in every 119

homes. Patricia Taylor bought her council house with her husband in

1997. Originally worth �54,000, her home is now valued at �180,000. She

lives alone, but looks after her grandchildren while their parents

are at work. Look at that tongue! It's black. Three years ago,

Patricia's husband left her and she fell behind on the mortgage. Then

last year, she became ill and soon the arrears grew to �9,000.

marriage broke down unexpectedly, really, and then I got cancer. So I

wasn't working. So I couldn't pay the mortgage. I did try. It wasn't

because I didn't try. I don't know anybody in a position to give me

the money to pay it or lend the money, so when there's billions of

pounds owed everywhere in the world my �9,000 is a bit insignificant.

They want their house back, so that's it. For more than a year

Patricia has been having regular treatment for her breast cancer.

It's been about a year and two months we've been here every month

for at least three times. A lot of times. I don't mind coming. They're

keeping me alive. Patricia told Barclays she was undergoing

treatment for cancer and offered to pay the �37 a week interest out of

her benefits. The bank took her to court and sought possession of her

home. Ready? Ready. It makes it a bit stressful. It doesn't do you

any favours if you get depressed and too far down. I don't think it

can -- it is conducive to getting better from this. I have had some

really bad days. Normally take things in my stride, like, just

breast cancer makes things a bit chaotic. It would be more helpful

if I wasn't having me house I get to that stage and I think oh,

could go on the floor. I must try to keep upright. It's really weird.

It affects me all of a sudden. I will snugle up with my old settee.

Here we go. The eviction will take place on August 15 at 9am. You

should arrange to leave the property with your belongings

before this date and time. Well, That's it. The end of an era.

Barclays can have their little Since the recession started in 2009,

there has been a large increase in the number of people who find

themselves in financial trouble and at risk of becoming homeless. Over

50,000 households are currently living in temporary accommodation.

Councils in towns across the country are overwhelmed. And

nowhere more so than in London and the south-east. Croydon Council now

has more than 2,000 households in temporary accommodation, an

increase of 34% of last year. -- on last year. After two years out of

work and on jobseeker's allowance, Nick Bull managed to get a job.

3.25am. Now he works as a bus driver to support a family of six,

often driving all night. It's very important, because I was unemployed

for so long. Getting a job is, it's made me feel a lot better. This is

the main thing, just keeping your job really. There's not many jobs

out there. The last few years have been tough for Nick and his family.

They built up substantial rent arrears on their Council house in.

March this year they were evicted. The family were put into emergency

accommodation, all of six of them in a one-bedroom flat. I don't know

why they put us in this flat. They knew that we had, like, six people,

you know, six because... Seven people. They put us in a one-

bedroom flat when they could have put us in a two-bedroom flat in the

corner. Housing regulations require a family of this size to have at

least three rooms suitable for sleeping. Putting six of them in

such a small flat amounts to unlawful overcrowding. Well my mum

keeps breaking down, so I think it is... What does that mean "breaking

down "? She's crying. When we go to sleep at night, like, we feel like

all bumpy stuff coming onto our skin. We like scratch and scratch

and scratch and in the morning, we wake up and there's all big dots

all over us. We've been bitten. Croydon Council has spent six

months investigating Nick and Rachel's case. Deciding whether by

building up arrears the family made themselves intentionally homeless.

As they wait for the council's decision the children have not been

to school. So bored. All I do is play my Xbox and eat. What about

school? No school. Why not? Because The hostel has no washing machine,

so while Rachel looks after the children, Nick takes the washing

for all six of them to the launderette. It's an extra �30 a

week. This launderette gets further away every time. The rent on that

place, just for that flat, which has nothing in it, they're saying

it's meant to be furnished, it's a broken wardrobe, it's rubbish. It's

like �230 a week they charge for it. You could get a two-bedroom flat in

Croydon, fully furnished for that price, with everything in it. I do

some days just want to go urgh. Let's go and live in a tent on the

field. Buff you can't do. That You kids have to say goodbye to

daddy. He's off to work. Mummy, I've got David Beckham in my team.

Have you? Wow. When do you finish? About 1. 10am. By the time I get

the two night buses home, that's going to be 2.30am. With a bit of

Be heatwave, you kids. The family got into arrears on the

old council house when Nick was unemployed. They missed rent

payments and on occasion failed to provide the paperwork required to

maintain benefit. The council is investigating the case that goes

back three years. Every day I hope to get a letter

from the council. We never get one. Whiles we were in the house,

everything was falling into place. This is like we have been put to

one side and forgotten about, basically.

This recession is affecting people mostly untouched by previous

economic downturns. When Kevin Browne worked in the

City, he lived in a flat in Kensington, one of the most

expensive neighbourhoods in the world.

The first floor. The one with the balcony.

Nobody really thinks anything good happening to them is ever really

going to end, you know? There were various paths in life that we take.

It does not always turn out as you expect. Which, I guess, is the

underlying theme of this whole saga. Kevin moved to America and ran his

own Wall Street firm until the crash in 2008. His company went

bust and his marriage fell apart. The crash comes and the deals dry

up, but the expenses don't. So then you put in your own money and you

are hoping that things will turn around, even though in your heart

you cannot see a sign that they will. He lost his home. He returned

to England two days ago on a flight paid for by a charity. Now he is

sleeping in a park in Croydon, the town where he grew up.

This morning I woke up. I thought, where am I? It then all

comes back. I used to come here with my mum when she was still

alive. I used to play tennis on the tennis courts. My friends were not

expecting this. He's been spending the night

sleeping on the concrete floor of an abandoned building.

It is reasonably clean it is dry, it is covered, but it is not

something to be recommending. You start off thinking you can get

through this, but I probably can't. You know, how did it get to the

point where you are doing this, any way? To get off the street, Kevin's

best hope is to see if Croydon council can get him into a local

hostel, but after a half an hour meeting, he has been told that they

can't help as he is a single man. That the council has a shortage of

temporary accommodation and must prioritise families and those

deemed vulnerable. They told Kevin to register at the jobseeker centre.

The advice was good luck and have a nice day. So I have to go now to

jobseeker's and try to get them to sort something out for me on

housing. Housing can't do anything on housing, that is a bit weird,

really! Jobseeker's tell Kevin it will take a few weeks to register

as a resident in Croydon. REPORTER: Where will you spend the

night? I will go back to the park. She couldn't seem to understand in

the job soakers place, when I said I'm at Park Hill. I am actually at

Park Hill. It is not an address in Park Hill rise or Park Hill road it

took her a while to understand that. Since arriving in Britain, Kevin's

income has been a one-off crisis lone from the jobseeker centre.

I have basically just over �4. I still have �10 that I had before,

which I have in my back pocket. So that is �14.

Life, or my life goes in phases. This is not a good phase.

Then at 9.30pm, Kevin walks across town to a charity-run soup kitchen.

Set up in front of the council housing offices.

There are a few nutters. But people are generally polite.

But if you are wanting to set up your guest list for an ideal dinner

party, this wouldn't be the first place you would come to, basically.

You know! It seems to be about 30 people are here, I guess.

That is less than last knight. I didn't get a cup earlier, sorry

about that. A straw, mate? Very nice, thank you.

Thank you very much. So minestrone soup and a corned

beef sandwich. I'll just go and see if there is

anyone here I have spoken to before... Rough sleeping in England

increased 23% last year. -- increased by 23% last year.

Lee and Sharon have lived in their family home in Redbridge for ten

years. They now have a week before they are due to be evicted.

The younger daughter, Hannah, is ten. She has lived here all of her

life. I was just a bit scared about what

was going to happen after moving, but then my parents said we were

not moving because the family is splitting up or something. Sorry,

that we were not moving because the family was splitting up, but that

we would be together. That calmed me down a lot.

15-year-old Eve is in the middle of her geese.

It does make me feel angry. I have lost my home. That is not helping.

Hannah has her exams. Mum has work. So, yeah it is a lot of things to

cope with. Hi, sweetie With eviction day

looming, Lee and Sharon are having trouble finding a new home. The

credit rating is ruined. Lee is unemployed and Housing Benefit

capped, so making local accommodation unaffordable.

We have to be out of here on the 8th of October. Whether we have

anywhere to go or not. Maybe the 7.th. I rang to the bank

to ask for a chance of extension. I was told no. That we had to be out

of the property by 9.30am. Then the locks are changed and you have to

apply to the court. It is getting very close now.

I am starting to get a bit nervous. Only a bit?! It is just a tad

stressful! I just worry how much more we can ask the girls to take

on board without iting are affecting them.

Without it really affecting them. This is something that has taken

years and years to build up and it has just gone. I just want it to be

over now. Nick and Rachel are finally moving

out, but not because the council found them a new house. The hostel

is evicting them after their daughter broke a glass panel in the

building. The panel was cracked. I wanted to

pay for the glass, but they were like, no, they want us out.

Oh, dear. Don't worry. With nowhere else to go, Nick now

has to go to the council to see if they will keep the family off the

street. We have literally got now... An

hour to get everything packed up and out of this flat. Nick is down

at the council right now seeing if they can sort us out again, but I

don't know what will happen. I really don't.

I have so much to pack up now and just go. It, Annie give us those

bags, please. REPORTER: Where do you think you

will end up tonight? In the street. We ain't got no house. They

wouldn't put us in the street. We are a family. I'll be happy if they

give us another flat. No. No. Then we have somewhere to

live. Then we can have a normal house.

It is now 11.00am. It is eviction time. The family still has not

heard from Nick, whether the council has found them anywhere

else to go. Rachel calls him to find out.

So what is going to happen, then? We have another place to go to?

It's 11.30am, the hostel security has not asked them to leave m Nick

has to go back to the coup to sign for the new accommodation. They

take Liam and Amy with them. We will come back and go.

Tanya stays behind with Rihanna, the youngest.

Don't walk away from me! How dare you behave like that! I didn't mean

to! Won't be long! Ten minutes after they arrive at the housing

office, Nick and Rachel have to rush back to the host e. Security

has turned up to evict them. I got a phone call from Tanya. They

are banging on the door. They have gotten in the door. They have taken

the stuff out. Our five-year-old, Rihanna is crying her eyes out.

can't believe that they do this to my baby, you know.

Hey! Hello? It is OK. We are coming down in a cab.

Let's see if they carry on when Move out of the way. Move out of

the way. Get out. Come in screaming in front of my face, in front of

the kids. We've been down the council sorting accommodation out.

Out please, we'll get our stuff out. Get out. Get out until we're out.

How dare you. Rachel. Let's get our stuff out and get out of here.

a week for here. You should see the one we're going into. It's like a

palace. Get the stuff and go. are you shouting in my daughter's

face as well? Fucking freaks. Move out of my way before I lose my

temper. We've just got back from the council. I've just got back

Rachel have you got the key, love? They want the key then they're

going to... Cake it off the key ring. I'm going to throw it at them.

Rachel. Key then we can relax and take our time. That's what they

want. There's your key you tramps. Now I've got to pick it up. Amy,

wait a minute. What's that? All right. How the

hell are we going to get that out? They can clean up, can't they? I

can't believe how they treat people. Nick, Rachel and the children are

moving to another hostel. Buff they don't know how long they'll be

there and they are no closer to having a permanent place to live.

Mummy, are we going then? Yeah, we're moving out of here, love, at

last. Are we going in that car? I'll come back on the bus and get

See you in a little while. Thank you. See you in a little while.

It's the day before Patricia's eviction. Health and safety.

has nowhere to live once her house has been repossessed. Friends and

family are helping her move her belongings into storage. Dagenham

Council will place Patricia in temporary accommodation. But they

won't tell her where until she's actually homeless. Have you found

anything out? No, I have to go down there on Wednesday. What if you

ain't got nowhere? They will put me in temporary accommodation. They

will definitely do that? Left it late, though, to put you there

somewhere. Right at the last knockings. Jew know where I am if

you need a lift or anything. We can help you move. We've got both cars,

to put your bits in. It's sad though. I reckon there'll be tears

before midnight. Don't make me cry. What comes around Tish, goes around.

I will miss you. You're a nice neighbour. You always came round

and had a drink. Yeah. Give us a knock. I will. Bye.

Patricia could end up being put in temporary accommodation, miles from

friends and family. I don't know what's happening next. Where am I

going to be? Just don't know. Don't know. I shouldn't be sleeping on

other people's sofas and things. I should be here in my home. Which is

not my home any more. Barclays say they did everything they could to

assist Patricia and evicting someone is always the last resort.

After 15 years of living in her home, Patricia will have to hand

the keys over the to bailiff at 9am The TV's gone. The TV gone. Yeah?

Hello? I spoke to you on the phone. You OK? No, not really. Did you get

one of them in the post? That's the one I've got. Keep that safe. Where

are you going to now? To a friend's and then the council. I was going

to say, have you been? I'm going at 1 pm. At John Smith House. There

are the keys. I wish you luck. Thank you. Bye. Bye. We're all

Oh, well. That's it then, isn't it, Barclays effectively now owns

Patricia's home. They change the locks immediately and the house is

put up for sale. 52, homeless, hairless. Right, that's it. Say

Nanny, why are you crying? Do you want to have that? Shall I take

that with you. When I'm here again, you can bring it back. Thank you,

that's nice. See you later. Love Kevin has been sleeping in the park

for three weeks. It's gradually taking a toll. This is not like

normal existence. Everything is taking an awful long time to sort

out. The council still hasn't housed Kevin. He tries to gets help

from a charity, which might be able to get him into a hostel. Yeah I

hope so. My name's Kevin. I'm actually in Croydon at the moment.

I'm pretty much homeless and the Croydon Council have not been, I

wouldn't say unhelpful, but they haven't been necessarily quick. I'm

starting to lose the will to live slightly. What am I what? Kau

caution, English, whatever. -- caucasion. 5'10". It's Park Hill.

It's across the street from the Croydon park hotel, when I'm

unfortunately not staying. They're going to send, bizarre really,

they're going to send somebody up to the park to find me. They turn

up with flash lights and they shout out "Kevin" auntil you answer. --

until you answer. I tried to explain how big the park was. If

they can find it, you know. That would be impressive.

Kevin rushes to the nightly food drop. He hasn't eaten all day. But

I would imagine that when he got there the pup board was bare. --

At 6am the next morning the charity workers find Kevin sleeping in the

park. They're the first people who have indicated an abuilt and

willingness to help me in my situation. That is obviously a good

thing. The outreach team takes Kevin to a holding centre for

homeless people in west London. It's called the Hub. Kevin will

sleep on the floor of a hall with 25 other men. It's part of the no-

second night out scheme, part fundling by -- funded by the Mayor

of London to keep people off the It's a mad house. It's drug

infested. With all the parafer Naila that goes along with that.

Less stressful than actually being in the park. Extraordinary that

On Kevin's second night in the hub another resident threatened to slit

his throat for snoring. It's scary, yeah. There's a lot of talk about,

you know, disemboweling people and all sorts of nasty stuff. One just

hopes that it's all pub talk, as you English people say. The

opposite of, you know, someone singing you to bed, basically, or a

late-night story. A late-night disembowelment isn't quite as

attractive. Kevin spends another week in the

hub before the manager calls him into a meeting. He has been

recognised as a resident in the UK and he is now entitled to Housing

Benefit. You have an appointment this

morning to view a flat. Right. case has really progressed. That's

good. Excellent. I'm glad that's good news for you. The time that

you've been here, have you felt safe? Not really. Really? I guess

when people are only here for a few days, there's a limit to what you

can do any way, but there seemed too many people who are too drug

dependent. A lot of thieving going on. They've got issues with drugs

and that's what's going to come Rachel, Nick and the four kids have

moved into a new hostel. They still have only two rooms, but each has

its own entrance and a toilet. need to take a leak. Wait. I need

to take a leak. Go in the other bedroom. Move. Shut the door please,

mate. He's going to do it right there with people watching. There's

a garden for the kids to play in. But they have to share the kitchen

and washing machine with 15 other people.

Because the council still hasn't come to a decision on their housing

status, they're still in limbo. A family of six in these two rooms is

still unlawful overcrowding. It's been five months now. Five months.

Thinking day by day, week by week, whether you're going to be there.

Luckily I had the day off work, and we were out the same day. We don't

know if it's going to be like that here. Or if there's going fob more

accommodation. Kind of confused. I don't know if, what place we're

going to stay in or we're not going to stay in. Can't wait till we get

a house, dad. I know. It's like we're never going to stop moving.

Croydon Council says it does not take decisions to evict people

likely, particularly where children are involved. But local authorities

must be able to take action against tenants otherwise there would be a

complete break down of the social housing system. The family was

given a number of opportunities to stop the eviction process and they

failed to comply with several court orders to pay the repbtd they owed.

Seven months after they were first evicted. Nick has a letter from the

council asking him to a meeting. They have decided that the family

did make themselves intentionally homeless.

They have left us dangling on that piece of string all that time to

say they are not rehousing us. So I don't know what will happen now.

REPORTER: Where will you go? don't know. I am trying to sort it

out today. That is why I have the meeting with the council.

REPORTER: Are you worried you will have nowhere to go? It does cross

my mind, but we will get somewhere, but it does cross your mind.

The letter says that the council will provide Nick and his family

assistance in finding somewhere else to live.

REPORTER: How did it go? Just advice on how to get your own

accommodation and that. General information. That is it.

All of this, help with deposits, but she is saying that we will not

get help with the deposits as we can't go in the scheme that they

have got. REPORTER: How long do you have?

weeks today. That's it. Two weeks. Not a long time.

After her home was repossessed, Dagnall council has found a place

for Patricia Taylor. This is the moment of truth. I'm

just a bit shocked, really. This is where I've got to go.

Patricia is taken to temporary accommodation for homeless people

with a shared kitchen and bathroom. She tells the agent she does not

feel safe there and does not want to move in. She goes back to her

friend Wendy's house to call the council.

I can't believe it. It stinks. I feel like I have it on me. I was

crying when I was in there. I don't think that this day can get

much worse. It is scary. Very scary. I thought, oh, my God, where are

they taking me? The council asked for Patricia to sign for the

accommodation before she had had seen it. It may be too late to turn

it down. I would like to get into contact with John Smith House. I

will leave a message. Thank you.

Voicemail. This is a joke. It is. She hears nothing from the

council that day, so decides to stay at her friend, Wendy 's, on a

blow-up mattress. They don't seem to take your circumstances into

account. I'm just a statistic. One person is doing this, another one

is doing that. I am like, oh, my God, does anyone know what is going

on? I don't know. I have no idea. I sign things that I didn't even

know to look at. I just signed them. I didn't read it or anything.

That is what got me in this state in the first place.

The council calls the next day to say that if Patricia refuses the

temporary accommodation, she is making herself intentionally

homeless and they would no longer be required to house her.

Patricia decides to go back to the one room temporary accommodation

with a charity worker who has offered to help her to move in.

It just stinks. Let me open a window. Let me get some air in here.

It is the smell. Hopefully that will go if we air it for a few

hours. Hopefully this is temporary. Once the smell of the, whatever

that smell is... I don't know what that smell is.

I don't know, either. It is still a bit depressing.

After four more nights in the Hub and another week in a homeless

shelter, Kevin completed the journey from a park in Croydon, to

a shared flat in Streatham. This is the kitchen. The tables. You can

sit down and do some ruminating. I have to move more stuff in. There

is quite a nice, comfy bed. All in all, an improvement and it is safe.

Safe is very important, really. In life there are times when you

just need help, you know. Not everyone wants help. Some people

reject it. Some people will abuse it. Some

will not use it, but some people, if you give them help, will be

constructive with that assistance. I hit rock bottom and I'll do what

I can. I will do what I can with help

wherever it comes from, really. I will make sure that never happens

again. It's the day before Lee and

Sharon's eviction. The bailiff is due at 9.30am. They still have not

found a flat to rent. So they are moving their belongings into

storage. With nowhere else to go, they will stay with Sharon's sister,

her husband and two children. We will miss this house.

Ivanisevic and Hannah are going to their aunt's a day early, so that

they are not at home when the bailiff arrives.

What was me? That is you with the curly hair. That is Eve up there.

Girls, are you going or what? Yeah... See you later.

Bye. Give us a shout if you need

anything. She's left her drawings up there.

One empty house. Need help with the kitchen or shall

I get this stuff in the car? I'll start loading.

I am starting to shake. Come on.

Sort out the kitchen now. The bank told Lee and Sharon that

any of their belongings left behind would be locked in.

Morning. Bailiff from the court. Right.

You know you have seven days to come back to get the stuff you

can't manage today? I was told if I was not out of here by.toam, that

is it. Whoever told you that is wrong. You

have seven days. It is up to you. Mate, we are done.

Can I just ask you to leaf the keys, then, please? The locks will be

changed. Have you got somewhere to go?

sister's. Thank you very much.

I feel a bit numb, actually. I wouldn't say it is over for us,

but, our own home is over for a while.

I think it is probably too close to handing the keys over to have a

proper reaction to it yet. You feel like all you want to do is jump in

the car and drive away. No doubt, there will be a few tears later on,

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 75 seconds

I will think. I haven't been up here since I left.

It's a bit... Depressing. A bit too sad. There it is. Just

sitting there forlorn. Nobody is in Not a lot of noise coming out of

there. Not like normal. That's all I needed, just a few

months, until me treatment had finished, until I could get back on

my feet, get back to normality. It is not very nice, is it? Look, they