homefolk
Frustrated as a student about how terrible housing provision in our city can be? Feeling fed up with extortionate, unaffordable rent? Angry about the climate crisis, loneliness and mental health epidemic but without a clear direction for how to solve everything in an intersectional way? Do you want to be part of the change in London's housing crisis?
Idea for research
Idea for research
A participatory research project engaging “Generation Rent” to document lived experiences, priorities, and explore alternative housing solutions to housing crisis & wider issues facing young people. This will include Coops, CLTs and innovative housing models such as the tinyhome village model proposed by our group homefolk. Design of research should be rooted in participatory methods that can empower as well as collect data. Methods will involve co-design and delivery of surveys, interviews, creative workshops, and zine-making sessions. The goal is to ensure that homefolk’s affordable tiny-home village model is shaped by and for the communities it aims to serve.

Existing data:
- 3 workshops designed for use in-situ, previous conversations documented in our ‘critical review document’, which features notes from earlier engagement sessions.
- Initial survey results on housing needs gathered during curbside outreach & web based forms.
- Blogs, testimonies, and creative contributions from past participants.

Suggestions of data collection methods:
- A larger, structured survey capturing trends in affordability, insecurity, and space needs.
- Interviews and focus groups exploring aspirations for community-led living.
- Workshop outputs (maps, drawings, zines, models).
- Peer-led notes and reflections from volunteers.
Impact of idea
- Produce a community-authored evidence base to refine the housing model.
- Build confidence, skills, and civic participation among student researchers.
- Create accessible outputs (zines, infographics, short reports) for use by young renters, policymakers, and local authorities.
- Improve understanding of barriers, priorities, and values of Generation Rent.
- Strengthen community organising and housing literacy.

If you have any existing data or information you would like included in a project, please tell us what kind of data these are

What new data or information would you like to be collected in this project?

Data generated through this idea

Application process
Application criteria
Our research proposal has been developed alongside UCL SU by and for our community rather than just ‘about it’ - our community being ‘Generation Rent’... aged between 18-35 & without prospect of buying a home in areas we live and work.

Youth who identify themselves as affected by the housing crisis will be principal investigators in shaping homefolk’s research analysis and methods, through experiential qualification alongside more formal/academic research. We’d also like to advertise & select volunteers to this program to ensure those with intersecting unaddressed needs (accessibility, protected characteristics or vulnerable groups) are prioritised as our investigators.

Engaging “Generation Rent” directly ensures our model reflects lived priorities — from affordability and security, to wellbeing and community life. This approach also empowers young people, builds networks, and strengthens the legitimacy of our proposals with policymakers and funders.

homefolk & No Burnout Culture
homefolk CIC are committed to a supportive, no-burnout research culture. Student researchers will ideally work in pairs or small groups, sharing tasks, reflecting together, and collaborating rather than individualised pressure.

We warmly welcome applications from friends or course-mates who wish to pair up, and we will also organise research groupings for those applying individually, aiming that everyone has a buddy and feels included.

Our aim is to create a research environment that is social, caring, and mutually encouraging — a space where learning is shared and wellbeing comes first.
Is this project fully accessible to students with the disabilities?
Yes
Disabilities information
Yes – digital participation options will be offered; workshops should be will be in accessible spaces; materials will be in easy-read formats where needed.

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