Southwark residents to launch campaign on unsafe housing conditions

Residents from the Wyndham & Comber, Brandon 2 and Brandon 3 estates in Southwark will formally launch a new campaign at a public event on 3 June. It’s calling for urgent action on unsafe housing conditions.

The Southwark Group of Tenants Organisations and health justice organisation Medact are supporting the campaign. It highlights the serious health impacts of ongoing housing disrepair. This can include:

• Unreliable heating and hot water.
• Damp.
• Mould.
• Leaks.
• Overheating.
• Structural defects.

The launch event will bring together residents, community organisations, local stakeholders and health advocates to share experiences, present residents’ demands, and discuss solutions to long-standing housing problems affecting the estates.

Residents say poor housing conditions are harming both physical and mental health, particularly for older people, children and those with existing health conditions.

A resident representative said:

We are living in homes that are having a real impact on our health every day. No one should have to deal with repeated loss of heating and hot water, or live with damp and mould that makes people ill. This campaign is about making sure our experiences are heard and acted on.

Southwark residents report repeated heating and hot water breakdowns alongside ongoing disrepair in their homes. Many say these conditions have contributed to respiratory problems, stress, sleep disruption and worsening mental health.

Medact, a health justice organisation working with health professionals and communities, is supporting the campaign as part of its work on the social determinants of health. A Medact representative said:

Housing is a fundamental determinant of health. When homes are not safe, dry, and warm, people’s health suffers. This collaboration brings together lived experience and public health expertise to push for meaningful change.

The event will also include a community social for residents and attendees to connect and build support across the local community.

The campaign is led by tenants and residents from the Wyndham & Comber, Brandon 2 and Brandon 3 estates as part of the Wyndham Heat Network Action Group.

The Southwark Group of Tenants Organisations supports tenant and resident groups across the borough.

Medact is a UK-based health justice organisation that campaigns to tackle unsafe housing.

Poor housing conditions, including damp, mould and inadequate heating, are widely linked to poor health outcomes and health inequalities.

Featured image via the Canary