Advertisement
Housing

Ikea staff will soon be offering housing advice to help prevent homelessness

The flat-pack furniture giant is working with Shelter to prevent homelessness with staff becoming ‘life at home experts’ to let you know your housing rights

Ikea staff will be trained to offer advice on housing rights alongside flat-pack furniture as part of a new project to prevent homelessness.

‘Co-workers’ at the furniture giant will become ‘life at home experts’ next year as part of a new partnership with housing charity Shelter. The training will give staff the tools to help people in precarious housing situations to understand their rights in the hope it will help them keep their home.

In return, Ikea will also fund housing rights workers at Shelter’s advice hubs with the pair hoping to reach half a million people impacted by the housing emergency by 2030.

Both organisations have called on the government to build 90,000 social homes a year by the same year as a long measure to tackle the housing crisis.

Peter Jelkeby, country retail manager and chief sustainability officer for Ikea UK & Ireland, said: “At Ikea, we want to create a better everyday life for the many people. This ambition goes beyond just home furnishing: We want to have a positive impact on the world.

“We’re in a national housing and cost of living crisis that’s hitting families and people suffering homelessness the hardest. That’s why it’s even more important for companies such as ours to take responsibility and contribute positively to the neighbourhoods we’re part of.”

Advertisement
Advertisement

Get the latest news and insight into how the Big Issue magazine is made by signing up for the Inside Big Issue newsletter

Article continues below

The new long-term partnership comes at a time when house prices andrents are at record highs and there are warnings of rising homelessness as the cost of living crisis bites. The two organisations have called for  “systemic change”.

Shelter’s training to help Ikea co-workers become life at home experts represents the first time the housing charity has worked with a partner organisation to educate staff on local and national housing issues and rights.

The team-up will also include a three-year research project following families living in social housing with the aim of demonstrating to the government the need for systemic change.

Your support changes lives. Find out how you can help us help more people by signing up for a subscription

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Rising rents, poor quality homes and spiralling living costs are pushing even more people to the brink of homelessness, making our work at Shelter as critical as ever. Every day we help hundreds of people and families impacted by the housing emergency, but we can’t do it alone.”

“Through our new partnership with Ikea we hope to reach even more people with vital housing advice and support at a time when they need it most.”

Advertisement

Sign our petition to keep people in their homes

Urgent action is needed to prevent even more people being pushed into homelessness.  A secure home is the first step in addressing the cruel cycle of poverty to ensure people can fulfil their potential. Join us to keep people in their homes.

Recommended for you

Read All
Are social rent homes really the 'silver bullet' to fix UK's housing crisis?
Social rent

Are social rent homes really the 'silver bullet' to fix UK's housing crisis?

Mum feared her family would end up 'living in a tent' after no-fault eviction notice
End Housing Insecurity Now

Mum feared her family would end up 'living in a tent' after no-fault eviction notice

Seasalt: Meet the student housing co-operatives rejecting rip-off landlords
Housing

Seasalt: Meet the student housing co-operatives rejecting rip-off landlords

Fury as Tories yet again delay much-needed Renters Reform Bill: 'Will we ever see it again?'
End Housing Insecurity Now

Fury as Tories yet again delay much-needed Renters Reform Bill: 'Will we ever see it again?'

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Here's when people will get the next cost of living payment in 2023
3.

Here's when people will get the next cost of living payment in 2023

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue
4.

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue