A Social Home of Ones Own

Written by Fatuma Khaireh

Having safe and secure housing should be a given. Sadly for many people, it's entirely out of reach. There is a growing movement of Instagram influencers who are sharing and celebrating social homes and destigmatising them. With the destruction of vast swathes of social housing developments up-and-down the country, London is suffering the most. This generation of tenants is cultivating a sense of pride in their homes.

This is in the context of a growing movement towards rebuilding social housing. The Channel 4 presenter and architect George Clark has been spearheading a campaign to increase the number of social housing. Pressure groups such as London's renter's union becoming a force to be reckoned with and fighting for the rights of low-income tenants. The increase of community land trusts repurposing unused land for social housing. The London Borough of Camden building the first new council homes in 30 years hopefully is the beginning of a cultural shift and a turning point back to affordable housing for the masses.

I came across Africa Daley Clarke’s Instagram account by chance. I follow several interior design Instagram accounts. Including the Birmingham based interior designer Medina Grillo, she has carved away in destigmatising rented accommodation. Her series How I Rent has been eye-opening showing the possibilities that tenants can achieve within the confines of rented accommodation. I came across one of her videos featuring Africa's Instagram account @thevitamindproject, and I was struck by how extraordinary her interior designs were and finding out the story of her home was made it even more poignant for me. As someone who has the benefit of growing up in a socially rented property. I intimately understand how some people will have negative views on it.

She invested a significantly in making her house beautiful and nurturing for her growing family. Despite having many detractors, Africa's property should be an exemplar for the possibilities of a socially rented home. Africa is home is out of Apartment therapy or Architectural Digest. It wouldn't look out of place in a glossy magazine. She has been able to transform what would otherwise be a bog-standard socially rented home into something otherworldly—at this moment of insecurity and unrest, seeing the possibilities of what can with socially rented homes when you have imagination is inspiring.