Earlier this year, I put a call out on LinkedIn for help connecting with professionals working in housing and domestic abuse. Thank you to everyone who responded, shared, tagged, or introduced. Your support helped make this episode happen—and more will follow.

In this episode of the Housing Sector Podcast, I speak with Sherrelle Collman, a frontline practitioner supporting survivors of domestic abuse through her work in specialist Domestic Violence Units at Caridon.

We explore what happens when someone escapes an abusive home but finds themselves navigating a housing system under immense pressure—where temporary accommodation, long waiting lists, and fragmented services can make recovery even harder. This isn’t about blame. It’s about recognising the reality, and working together to improve outcomes for those in crisis.

Topics include:
– The realities survivors face when seeking housing
– The role of Domestic Violence Units—and what more they could achieve
– How trauma can be compounded by complex housing processes
– What meaningful safeguarding could look like
– Advice for professionals and survivors navigating the system

Sherrelle brings clarity, compassion, and deep professional experience to this conversation. Her insight is rooted in practice—not policy. If you work in housing, safeguarding, or simply want to better understand the pressures facing survivors, this is a conversation worth your time.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
– Clare’s Law (Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme):
https://www.gov.uk/domestic-violence-and-abuse#domestic-violence-disclosure-scheme

– National Domestic Abuse Helpline (24/7):
https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk
| 0808 2000 247
– Women’s Aid Live Chat:
https://chat.womensaid.org.uk

#HousingSectorPodcast #DomesticAbuse #SurvivorSupport #TraumaInformedCare #Safeguarding #TemporaryAccommodation #HousingCrisis #SocialHousing #SupportedHousing #WomenAndChildren #FrontlineVoices #Caridon #SherrelleCollman #ClaresLaw #WomensAid #SystemicBarriers #Gatekeeping #LivedExperienceMatters #ProfessionalInsight #HousingMatters #HousingForAll #PodcastUK #UKHousing #BenJenkins #HousingSector #RightToSafety #NoMore #HousingAndSupport #ViolenceAgainstWomen #CoordinatedSupport #MultiAgencyWorking #TraumaMatters #HousingAdvocacy #EndDomesticAbuse

What happens when a “luxury” new‑build home becomes a nightmare?

In this episode, I talk to Alexandra Druzhinin—a homeowner who paid nearly £900,000 for what was marketed as her dream flat in Camden. But instead of sanctuary, she found a dangerous reality: a timber‑framed building that’s structurally compromised, unmortgageable, uninsurable—and, in her words, “crumbling beneath us”

Alexandra has uncovered mould, leaks, deep cracks, and rotted joists. A structural engineer has even advised the building be demolished and rebuilt.

Despite paying survey costs and legal fees amounting to over £400,000, neither the freeholder/developer nor the warranty provider or insurer have offered rescue. Alexandra is now heading to court in October, not for speaking out, but simply to secure the insurance she was promised—a basic protection that's now become a high‑stakes legal battle.

There's no safety net. No accountability. Just broken promises.

Her ordeal goes beyond personal tragedy—it's a warning about how new‑build homeowners are being let down systemically.

#HousingCrisis #NewBuildNightmare #TrappedHomeowners #HousingJustice #HealthAndSafety #HousingSector #BuildingSafety #WarrantyFail #StructuralDefects #AlexandraDruzhinin #UKHousing #NoSafetyNet

In this hard-hitting episode, I sit down with Frank Chiverton — a director with over 35 years of experience in surveying, damp and mould consultancy, project planning, and contract management — for a frank and forthright conversation about the state of UK housing.

We discuss the systemic decline in build quality, the disappearance of skilled oversight on site, and how roles once responsible for quality control have been quietly phased out. Frank reflects on the legacy of schemes like Decent Homes, and how millions were spent without solving the root problems — in some cases, making them worse. We also tackle the growing talent gap in construction, the urgent need to train and support the next generation of skilled workers, and the risks posed by unqualified staff signing off work they don’t fully understand.

Our conversation doesn’t stop there. We dive into how big business continues to push substandard products into housing through slick marketing and strategic relationships — rather than genuine quality. Our concern about how the events circuit and industry bodies like the Chartered Institute of Housing have become enablers of this culture, giving platforms to suppliers and ideas that aren’t always in the best interests of residents or the sector as a whole.

This is not a light listen. But it’s an honest one. And in a sector that’s become increasingly disconnected from the reality on the ground, it’s the kind of conversation that needs to be heard.

#HousingSector #SocialHousing #HousingCrisis #HousingRepairs #HousingPolicy #HousingQuality #DecentHomes #Construction #BuildingStandards #HousingOversight #TenantVoice #Residents #HousingSafety #HousingActivism #DampAndMould #FireDoors #Grenfell #HousingPodcast #FrankConversation #BenJenkins