If you were wondering how London’s housing crisis is going, look no further than the man who has built his own wooden house on a pavement in east London.
The house, complete with a locking front door, fairy lights, a fence and a parrot mascot, has sat on the pavement in Bethnal Green since the weekend, according to locals.
Neighbouring shopkeepers told The Big Issue the house is on its second iteration. It was reportedly knocked down a week ago, but in an act of defiance the creator – who was out when The Big Issue visited – rebuilt it.
Tower Hamlets has one of the highest rates of homelessness in London, with statistics from 2021 showing 2,853 households in the borough were in temporary accommodation.
Mr L Miah, who runs a leather business next to the house, said: “He needs help, is what I think. He needs the council to come and put him up somewhere.”
Tower Hamlets Council said it planned to offer the man accommodation tomorrow – and would not knock the house down until it had made the offer.