Mike’s job … helping homeless Londoners get into the private rented housing sector

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Mike Anderson is a private rented sector housing officer at Broadway’s Real Lettings agency. It’s his job to help homeless and vulnerably housed people find suitable accommodation in the Capital …

  • Mike works on the Connect London service that supports clients to access private rented accommodation in partnership with fellow homelessness charity, Shelter
  • Connect London has worked with more than 3,000 people since it launched April 2013
  • The programme offers help to anyone over the age of 24 with a housing problem

Connect London is a project Broadway has run with fellow homelessness charity Shelter since April 2013 with the aim of helping people over the age of 24 combat their housing problems.

My role is based within the Broadway Real Lettings team I work specifically within the private sector, offering effective support and advice through guidance, casework and advocacy. Our project is funded by London councils and operates across the whole of London.

What’s important to our team is that we aim to provide a completely joined-up service to clients. As well as housing advice, clients can also access other services through the work and learning and Shelter Legal teams.

Homelessness is not a problem experienced in isolation from life’s other issues and I think this all-round holistic support is the best way to help clients get things back on track.

I came to Broadway with a background in university recruitment and marketing; there’s been a lot to learn in a short space of time but I was hugely impressed by the dedication of colleagues and by Broadway’s own charitable ethos.

I work in a team of two ‘property negotiators’ and help link landlords, tenants and local services – including social services, housing benefit teams and other support agencies. It’s a challenging service to work in and, trust me, we have to work extremely hard to secure properties.

Since April 2013, my team has secured tenancies for 23 clients (and counting) and has provided advice and guidance to hundreds more. We’ve housed a range of clients, including families, older people and those under 35 (a particularly challenging group due to the shortage of shared housing). I’m delighted with our outcomes this year and we’re already looking to develop the service as it moves into its second year.

Our newest initiative is a drop-in private rented advice service – which aims to make clients more confident when looking for a property – while next year we’re hoping to take this ‘on the road’ to different parts of London.

Anyway, you may be wondering what a ‘typical’ day would be for us. Well, it can involve assessing clients for the service, contacting landlords and chasing up leads for properties, advocating with local authorities to secure deposits, viewing properties, researching housing policy and attending events to advertise what we do.

It’s a busy and fast-paced environment; we have to think on our feet and there’s something new every day. The most satisfying thing for me, however, is seeing the difference having somewhere safe and secure to live can make for a client. I think if landlords are sceptical about renting to someone on housing benefit, meeting one of our clients and understanding their situation can really change their minds.

What do you think?