It’s time to Fix the Five Basics.

Families in temporary accommodation across London are living without cooking facilities, laundry, Wi-Fi, storage or clear information. These aren't luxuries: they're the basics people need to get back on their feet.

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1 in 50 Londoners are currently stuck in ‘temporary’ accommodation, and too often, they lack these five basic amenities:

COOKING FACILITIES: a place to prepare a hot meal 

LAUNDRY ACCESS: a way to wash clothes that is affordable and easy-access

WIFI: reliable, free internet connection WiFi

SECURE STORAGE: somewhere to safely store personal belongings

CLEAR INFORMATION: updates on rights, repairs and move‑on plans.

Ask your local council to
Fix The Five Basics today

Campaigner from Creating Ground CIC in a black hijab and patterned dress standing and speaking into a microphone at a conference table at joint parliamentary event to launch Fix the Five Basics research. Also pictured are two other speakers.
  • A woman walking away from the camera in a black coat and headscarf on a sidewalk near a brick wall and a residential building. A bus stop sign with the label 'White City Estate' and a hedge are in the foreground. A small commercial shop with yellow and blue signage is in the background across the street.
  • Street scene with market stalls and shopping stores in the foreground, tall modern skyscrapers in the background, and pedestrians walking in a city during the daytime.
  • The Better TA support and Five Basics campaign teams holding a sign that supports five basic needs for temporary accommodation at an event in May 2025.

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What is the Temporary Accommodation Crisis?  

Around 76,000 households in London are homeless and living in temporary accommodation (TA). As its name signals, TA was only ever meant to be just that – temporary. But without affordable housing, families can be in TA for long periods of time, often separated from their communities and in sub-standard conditions

The Five Basics is one of several campaigns aiming to ensure that stays in TA are as short, safe and healthy as possible, as we work to end the use of Temporary Accommodation altogether.

A woman and a child playing with colorful building blocks indoors near a bright window.