SHELTER Challenges the Meaning of Home in 'Our House is Not a Home'

What is the definition of a home? For many people, it’s four walls and a roof over one’s head. But homelessness charity SHELTER is aiming to challenge this common misperception with a hard-hitting campaign revealing the grim realities of the temporary accommodation that thousands of families are stuck in. Many people are stuck in accommodation that is mould-infested, cramped, noisy and devoid of basic facilities for cooking, heating or washing, they may be houses - but they’re certainly not homes.

Created by DUDE London and supported by HSBC UK, the new campaign - Our House is not a Home - cleverly hijacks pop and ska band Madness’ 1982 hit, Our House - written by Chris Foreman and Cathal Smyth - , to highlight the impact and injustice of the UK’s housing emergency and how poor and unsafe living conditions are impacting people’s futures, in particular children.

The campaign is led by a music video juxtaposing the unchanged lyrics of Our House - which evokes a sense of nostalgic optimism in the original version of the song - with stark new visuals to paint a bleak experience of families living in temporary accommodation, aka the housing that local councils provide to people or families experiencing homelessness.

Hauntingly set to a stripped-down acoustic arrangement of the Madness track, the 60-second film which was shot on film was directed by Milo Blake through Spindle. It depicts a family of five living in assigned temporary accommodation - a damp, overcrowded, noisy place that no-one could ever call a home - and their attempts to maintain a ‘normal’, family environment in spite of challenges such as no heating or privacy.

Lines such as ‘Father wears his Sunday best’ and ‘Sister’s sighing in her sleep’ are overlaid on scenes of dad attempting to spray black mould off the ceiling and a young girl forced to share a bed with her siblings, as sirens blare and neighbours argue through the walls. The hard-hitting film makes references to the fact that temporary accommodation arrangements often last for months or years, with households moved from place to place at short notice, negatively affecting education, work, health, community, and finances.

The campaign is supported by HSBC UK. HSBC UK and Shelter are working in partnership to help people and families across the UK build financial resilience – support that can make a real difference when the unexpected happens.

Spanning TV, online video and social, the campaign aims to raise awareness and drive donations by igniting a national conversation about what truly makes a house a home - and potentially bring Our House back into the charts after a 42 year hiatus.

Mairi MacRae, director of campaigns and policy at Shelter, said, “We’re incredibly grateful to the team at DUDE for their fantastic efforts in bringing Our House to life, and shining a spotlight on the harsh reality faced by thousands of families at the sharp end of the housing emergency.

“Every day, more families are being pushed to the brink of homelessness because private rents are soaring out of reach of local incomes. With so few genuinely affordable social homes available, many people are forced to make impossible choices between putting food on the table or keeping a roof over their heads. 

“Together with HSBC UK, we’re working with families to help build financial resilience and stop homelessness before it happens. By centring the experiences of those in damaging temporary accommodation, Our House will be vital in building public support for the fight to end homelessness. Thank you to everyone at DUDE for making this important film a reality.”

Our House songwriters Chris Foreman and Cathal Smyth said, “For most, Home is a sanctuary, a place of rest, a place to restore one’s strength to face the daily challenges of Life. We are proud to support Shelter and their work in helping those who, sadly, are without homes”.

​Tomás Gianelli O’Ryan, executive creative director DUDE London added, “Very few times in life do we get to work on such an important brief, and this one is without a doubt the most urgent we’ve had at Dude London. Everyone involved (from our clients at Shelter to Milo and Spindle) have been personally committed to the cause and moved mountains to make it happen. I believe this level of dedication shows in the attention to detail and craft of the campaign. Changing the meaning of homelessness is no small task, but we hope we’ve done it justice.”

Milo Blake, director commented, “The journey to making this film has been long, but incredibly meaningful. Living in London, the housing crisis and homelessness are impossible to ignore. This project felt like a timely and necessary exploration of a pressing social issue. It was important to us to capture the humanity of the characters and create a sense of relatability - because, in reality, it’s often just a matter of circumstance that separates any of us from facing the same challenges. In the 21st century, everyone deserves access to safe, appropriate housing—something that temporary accommodation often fails to provide.”