On Wednesday 15th October, Leeds Beckett Students’ Union joined CitizensUK and campaigners from across the country in an impactful housing justice action in London.
Represented by Hafsa, one of our Student Community Organisers, and Faisal, our Postgraduate Officer, LBSU stood alongside community leaders, fellow students, and MPs to demand urgent change to improve housing conditions.
Housing is one of our core campaign priorities — shaped directly by what we’ve heard from our students. From unaffordable rents to unsafe, mouldy homes, the housing crisis is hitting students hard. We’re committed to taking those experiences to national spaces to demand change!
Why We Took Action
Through our listening work, housing emerged as a top concern for Leeds Beckett students. Many shared stories of damp, disrepair and landlords ignoring urgent problems — conditions that make your student experience more difficult.
One student, Luke, described his private HMO:
“The walls were damp to the touch and caked in mould. The carpet bore fleas, and the basement’s ceiling was steadily eroding… My housemate, who had an autoimmune disease, was often sick due to the mould and poor insulation.”
Student housing is still housing — and every student in Leeds deserves a home in proper conditions.
The Action at Parliament Square
The event brought together campaigners from across the UK to call on the Government to include repairs, not just retrofitting, in its upcoming Warm Homes Plan. School children, college students, and community groups filled Parliament Square with songs and speeches urging MPs to “fix our homes.”
Hafsa spoke on behalf of Leeds Beckett students:
“Students deserve safe, healthy homes. Our housing issues aren’t separate from the wider crisis — they’re part of it. When our homes are damp and cold, it affects our health, our studies, and our lives.”
What’s Next
Our housing campaign continues locally and nationally. Alex Sobel MP (Leeds Central and Headingley) has committed to meeting with us in December to discuss student housing and raise our concerns in Parliament!
We’re still gathering housing stories from students — and we'd love to include your experience with student housing to help our campaign be as representative of Beckett students as it can be.
To find out more about our housing campaign, check out our webpage here. Our next Student Delegate Assembly is right around the corner on 12th November. This is your chance to input into our core campaigning priorities and hear about all the great work our student leaders are doing for you. Get all the details and save your spot here.