"Amar Bari, Amar Jibon" (My Home, My Life): Community-Led Research Exposes Housing Inequalities in East London

Written by Chloe Tilford, Head of Training & Consultancy at Housing Diversity Network

I recently had the opportunity to attend the launch of "Amar Bari, Amar Jibon" (My Home, My Life) at the House of Lords, kindly hosted by Lord Best. This three-year research project explores the housing needs and experiences of older Bangladeshi adults in East London, and it's a piece of work that really deserves wider attention across the housing sector.

The research was co-produced by Bangla Housing Association, the Housing Learning and Improvement Network, and The Open University, with funding from the Vivensa Foundation. What really struck me about the project was the commitment to centring community voices throughout the entire process. One of the highlights of the launch was a video featuring various contributors talking about how the research was conducted, particularly the way local people were trained and worked as community researchers. This approach ensured the research wasn't just about the community, but genuinely led by them - which made all the difference to the insights uncovered.

The findings paint quite a sobering picture. The study involved 76 participants across Tower Hamlets, Newham, Hackney, and Redbridge, and what emerged was a clear pattern of significant unmet housing needs. Many older Bangladeshi residents are living in properties affected by damp and mould, struggling with homes that simply don't accommodate multigenerational living, and facing real barriers when trying to access the adaptations they need as their mobility declines. The research introduces the concept of ‘functional overcrowding’ - where homes designed for nuclear families cannot accommodate the realities of how many families actually live, creating privacy issues and making it difficult to maintain cultural and faith practices.

The report makes clear recommendations across three key areas:

• making ethnic diversity and housing inequities more visible through better data collection;

• recognising systemic racial disparities and implementing targeted interventions;

• taking concrete action to address how inadequate housing compounds health inequalities and care needs for older adults.

Please see below links to the Executive summary and the full report

🔗Executive summary: https://www.housinglin.org.uk/amar-bari-amar-jibon-executive-summary/

🔗Report: https://www.housinglin.org.uk/amar-bari-amar-jibon-final-report/