The CHat Cambridge House

Welcome to The CH@T ~ Broadcasting straight from Cambridge House, we're asking: what's going on with housing in London? How can a new Mayor tackle the housing crisis?

Tackling some of the toughest issues facing society today, The CH@T brings you insights and stories straight from the frontline of social action in the UK. From our base in Camberwell, we're taking the big questions to the grassroots to get to the bottom of the biggest social issues facing London and the UK today.

The CH@T premieres with a series of episodes focusing the housing crisis in London, chatting with experts in housing, gentrification, and the legal system to get to the bottom of one of the biggest issues on the agenda.

In our premiere, we're busting a few big myths about the housing crisis, hearing about who's being hit hardest, and - most importantly - finding out what Londoners can do in the coming mayoral elections to help protect Londoners from losing their homes.

Listen in to our chat with Research and Knowledge Exchange Coordinator, Dr Hannah White, about a research project she recently completed into housing in South London. In late 2015, Dr White explored the reality of the housing crisis for Londoners by shadowing the Lambeth County Court Duty Scheme, which provides free legal advice for people with issues with their housing, speaking with people facing eviction from their homes to hear their stories, find out why people are facing such challenges, and to inform recommendations for policymakers to help people hold on to their homes.

If you enjoy it, drop us a comment or, even better, give us a review on iTunes - get in there quick and get a shout-out on the next episode of The CH@T.

The CHat is back! This week's subject: everything you need to know about the Housing and Planning Bill.

Welcome back to The CHat, London's premier social justice podcast, broadcasting straight from Cambridge House. In April we hosted an urgent conference on the housing crisis in London, addressing the growing threats to council housing and council tenants in the city and asking a central question: Can we afford to lose council housing? Discussion ranged from alternatives to current approaches to estate regeneration (often involving demolition) to how the housing crisis in London is disastrous for many but, from some perspectives, a boom for certain groups.

This first episode brings you a fantastic talk by Jamie Burton, a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers and expert in judicial review and human rights, leading a smart, occasionally damning, and (surprisingly) amusing analysis of the Government's proposals to tackle the housing crisis. Going through each of the key elements of the Housing and Planning Bill in detail, the talk is both a great primer on an important piece of legislation and an intelligent critique of a policy move that could spell the end of social housing in the UK as we know it. Jamie also touches on David Cameron's "sink estate" regeneration strategy. The talk is followed by a brief Q&A from our audience.

Photo Credit: Mkimemia, via Wikipedia