The Surviving Room

A story about homelessness and overcrowded living. A room full of things, people, stories, and shame - the surviving room. By writer and director, Neetu Singh, performed by Sonia Singh.

“Our yards don’t have the nice room where you can sleep, the clean room where you can wash, and the living room where you can watch TV. Read a book, call your friend, talk to your family, do your homework.

What we have here are surviving rooms. Where one sibling sleeps, then an uncle, then a cousin, then the next cousin whose marriage broke off, then someone who just came to the country. A stranger really.”

Over 3.5 million people in England live in overcrowded homes. This issue can have a devastating impact on young people, posing significant risks to their physical and mental health. The biggest cause of overcrowding is a severe shortage of social housing. With 1.3 million households on social housing waiting lists, many are forced into unsuitable, unaffordable, and unstable private rentals.

Despite the seriousness of overcrowded living, it is often not treated with the urgency it deserves, nor is it recognised as a form of homelessness.