Tenants: The People on the Frontline of Britain's Housing Emergency

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Tony is facing eviction instead of enjoying retirement; Limarra isn't 'homeless enough' to get help from the council; and for Kelly and her asthmatic son Morgan, another new rented house is a matter of life and death. This is twenty-first century Britain, where millions are trying to build lives in privately rented accommodation, which creates profit for landlords but not safe and stable homes for tenants.

This fierce and moving account tells their stories, and the story of how we built a housing system where homelessness is a constant threat. Award-winning housing journalist Vicky Spratt traces decades of bad decisions to show how and why the British dream of homeownership has withered and the safety net of social housing has unravelled. She has spent years talking with those on the frontline all around the country. Here, she illuminates the ways this national emergency cuts across generations, class and education and is devastating our health, destroying communities and transforming the social, economic and political landscape beyond recognition.

But it is not irreversible. The Covid-19 pandemic showed that radical action is possible, and there are real steps we can take to give everyone the chance of a good home. This urgent, ground breaking book leads the way.

Reviews

'Open-minded and formidably informed, Spratt is a compelling narrator. Her stories of people wrenched from their homes by so-called no-fault evictions are startling and infuriating ... it forces you to step back, look at the whole wretched system and think: "Why do we put up with this"' - The Times

'A major new book on the history and politics of renting' - Evening Standard

'An astonishing feat of journalism, storytelling and compassion. I thought I knew about Britain's housing crisis - I did not.' - Lucia Osborne-Crowley

'A must-read that explores the housing crisis and its devastating impact on our health, communities and political landscape.' - Cosmopolitan

'There is nobody better placed to write a book that tells the stories of 'Britain's housing shame'' - Metro

Author Bio

Vicky Spratt is a journalist whose work regularly shapes public policy. Her 2016 campaign Make Renting Fair got letting fees in England and Wales banned, and she has spoken at political conferences, APPGs, and appeared on BBC News, Newsnight, Woman's Hour, Radio 4 and NTS radio. She is currently the i Paper's Housing Correspondent and a writer and editor at Refinery29, as part of the Vice Media Group.