BBC highlights SWLLC’s frontline work in the housing crisis
South West London Law Centres (SWLLC) has been featured by BBC News as part of a major investigation into rising mortgage repossessions across England, which reached a five-year high in 2024–25. BBC journalists reported live from six county courts to document the experiences of people at immediate risk of losing their homes – including at Croydon County Court, where they followed our housing team at work.
The BBC spent the day with Hajra Jafri, Housing Duty Paralegal at SWLLC, who provides urgent, same-day legal advice at court to people facing repossession or eviction. During filming, Hajra stopped an eviction live, after identifying a defect in the paperwork that would have otherwise led to a mandatory eviction being enforced. Although the case is not over and the tenant must now agree to a payment plan, the eviction was halted – giving the woman critical time to stabilise her situation.
Reflecting on the work she does every day, Hajra said:
“You have to deal with navigating through the papers and providing a legal solution and a legal defence that will be able to persuade the judge to either adjourn the matter, suspend possession on some terms, or give the person more time to sell their home. Navigating all those areas is difficult. It’s devastating because the person is at risk of losing their home; it could be any of us in that position.”
As part of the investigation, the BBC also interviewed Roni Marsh, SWLLC’s Economic Justice Team Leader and Welfare Adviser, who spoke about the wider pressures pushing people into housing crisis.
Roni explained:
“We see a lot of people who have what we call a deficit budget. Their money coming in is not enough to cover their essential bills and expenditure, so any debt at all, any unexpected bill at all, and they’re tipped over the edge into debt. Every year these bills go up, but people’s wages don’t go up to cover the difference.”
Through SWLLC, the BBC also met several clients who trusted us to share their stories, helping to show the human reality behind the national statistics. These stories reflect what our teams see every day: people who have worked, paid taxes and maintainedtheir homes for years, yet find themselves at risk of homelessness when financial pressures, rising bills, or unexpected life events collide.
Our teams continue to respond to this crisis on the frontline – providing legal advice, representation, and emergency intervention at court to prevent homelessness wherever possible. We are grateful to the clients and staff who helped bring these stories to public attention, and proud that our work contributed to a national conversation about housing, debt and access to justice.
See the BBC’s live reporting from the courts:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cy0y6419x6jt
Read the BBC’s full story:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8jz321x14o