Katherine Brickell | Lightnews

Light up
your news

Create account Sign in

About Privacy Terms Help

Prof Katherine Brickell

Prof Katherine Brickell

@kbrickell.bsky.social

1.7K followers 910 following 130 posts

Prof Urban Studies KCL | Author Debt Trap Nation: Family Homelessness in a Failing State (2025) | Housing/Home/Law | UK & Cambodia | Editor Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers | Views own | https://www.debt-trap-nation.org/book .. more

Political science 50%

Sociology 30%

more

Posts Replies Media Videos

Pinned

Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · Oct 10

Published today on #WorldHomelessDay: my book Debt Trap Nation – a deep dive into how government policy is driving families into homelessness & debt.

All royalties to @seacharity.bsky.social 💜

Families aren't failing. They're being failed.

📖 www.agendapub.com/page/detail/...

#DebtTrapNation

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

Jules Birch @julesbirch.bsky.social · 1d

Interesting move by Crisis

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Crisis charity to become a landlord in attempt to rectify ‘catastrophic’ housing in UK

Exclusive: Homelessness charity planning to buy properties as it can no longer rely on access to social housing

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1d

HMRC trial of child benefit crackdown wrongly suspected fraud in 46% of cases

HMRC trial of child benefit crackdown wrongly suspected fraud in 46% of cases

Exclusive: Almost half of families flagged as emigrants based on Home Office travel data were still living in UK Home Office travel records used in a trial of a controversial anti-fraud crackdown that under which thousands of parents lost their child benefit were so flawed that almost half of the families initially flagged as having emigrated were still living in the UK, it has emerged. The pilot scheme saved HMRC £17m but left 46% of families targeted incorrectly suspected of fraud, a margin of error far in excess of the 1% to 5% scientifically acceptable. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · 3d

🪅 HOW EXCITING IS THIS! 🪅

So delighted that George Small has won the Brenda Trenowden Feminist Analysis Essay prize.

'Home is where the art is: Trans* self-portraiture as a praxis of homemaking' was written for my 3rd year UG course 'Geographies of Home'.

King's Global Institute for Women's Leadership @giwlkings.bsky.social · 3d

Celebrating the 2025 Brenda Trenowden Feminist Analysis Essay Prize Winners 🎉

Humayra Ismail
Ida Di Stasio
George Small

Read their winning essays: www.kcl.ac.uk/giwl/assets/...

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

Paula Barker MP @paulabarkermp.bsky.social · 3d

We are in the midst of a homelessness emergency, the cross departmental strategy for ending homelessness cannot be delayed any longer. The human cost is far too high.

Thank you to @nadinebh.bsky.social at @politicshome.bsky.social

www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Government To Hold Homelessness Summit As Sector Calls For More Urgency

The government is being urged to step up its efforts to reduce homelessness as it prepares to host a summit on tackling rough sleeping.

www.politicshome.com

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

King's Global Institute for Women's Leadership @giwlkings.bsky.social · 3d

Celebrating the 2025 Brenda Trenowden Feminist Analysis Essay Prize Winners 🎉

Humayra Ismail
Ida Di Stasio
George Small

Read their winning essays: www.kcl.ac.uk/giwl/assets/...

Reposted by Loretta Lees, Stuart Elden, John Clayton , and 5 more Loretta Lees, Stuart Elden, John Clayton, Rosaleen Duffy, Julie Cupples, Katherine Brickell, Laurent Jégou, Maria Rusca

Jenny Pickerill @jennypickerill.bsky.social · 3d

SAVE GEOGRAPHY at Leicester University (UK) - We call on the University of Leicester to urgently reconsider the proposal to dissolve Geography. This is direct attack on the discipline of Geography at Leicester with likely loss of Geography staff. Please sign + share

www.change.org/p/save-geogr...

A link to a petition to save Geography, its staff, department and degree programmes at Leicester University, UK

Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · 3d

What a brilliant day organised by @sharedhealthgm.bsky.social, coming together to discuss latest data and future plans to tackle the family homelessness emergency in this country.

It was a full house, in a rather jazzy conference venue!

#homelessness #childhomelessness #temporaryaccommodation

Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · 5d

Did you know that rental payments will now be used by Experian to assess people's credit rating? This opens up a can of worms!

www.whatmortgage.co.uk/first-time-b...

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

Josefina Jaureguiberry-Mondion @josejota.bsky.social · 6d

Join the Rent Cultures Network at TORCH on 13 Nov, 5 pm for a book presentation of Debt Trap Nation with @kbrickell.bsky.social & Mel Nowicki. They show how debt and housing insecurity shape everyday life in England and call for urgent structural change.

torch.ox.ac.uk/event/debt-t...

Debt Trap Nation: Family Homelessness in a Failing State

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

Andrew Fisher @fisherandrew79.bsky.social · 6d

We'd all like to think we'd act like this in a moment of crisis, but Samir Zitouni did - and he's a hero
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Train hero who saved passengers during attack named

The rail worker credited with saving multiple lives is named as Samir Zitouni.

Reposted by Alison Phipps, Katherine Brickell

Grace Blakeley @graceblakeley.substack.com · 7d

72% do not feel that they can influence decisions affecting the UK.

Why? Because our political and economic institutions have been captured by the wealthy.

And our democracy is failing as a result.
graceblakeley.substack.com/p/the-uks-fa...

The UK's Failing Democracy

The Carnegie Foundation's Life in the UK report shows the weakness of UK democracy, and the suffering caused as a result .

graceblakeley.substack.com

Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · 7d

🚨Book launch alert

🏠 Interested in 'tiny housing' in the USA?

🗓️ Free in London on Wednesday 3 December?

👋 Then this event is for you!

🪩 Celebrating Ella Harris, Mel Nowicki & Tim White's new book.

Register here ⬇️

www.eventbrite.com/e/book-launc...

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

Felicity Callard @felicitycallard.bsky.social · 7d

Please read and consider signing the letter in solidarity with Dr Farhana Sultana who has been placed on leave for extramural speech in the context of intensifying repression docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Gideon Calder, Katherine Brickell

Prof Ruth Patrick @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social · 9d

I can’t envisage a child poverty strategy which garners any credibility without fully scrapping the two-child limit.

Unconvinced? Check out (even better share) this summary of the peer-reviewed evidence base @kittyjstewart.bsky.social @aaronreeves.bsky.social

largerfamilies.study/publications...

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

News from UKRI-funded project "No space like home?" @nospacelikehome.bsky.social · 9d

HMO sector, increasing number of flatshares where there is no lounge, just shared kitchen and bathrooms. Another symptom of shrinking Britain? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Houses without lounges are a reality for renters

Nearly a third of homes advertised on a property sharing website had no living room.

Reposted by Heather Boushey, Richard F. Catalano, Nancy Kanwisher , and 12 more Heather Boushey, Richard F. Catalano, Nancy Kanwisher, Euan G. Ritchie, Neil Pederson, John Foot, Alan Richardson, Katherine Brickell, Olivier Jourdan, Matthew P. McAllister, Alexander Woywodt, Manisha Sinha, Farah Mendlesohn, Colin Woodard, Benjamin Larue

Elizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov · 10d

15 million Americans are going to lose their health care.

Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · 10d

Local authorities should spend some of £11million recently committed by gov to help families with children living in Temporary Accommodation on a "Sensory Needs Fund" to pay for additional costs of raising a neurodivergent child in TA.

Here's why:

www.sensorylivesproject.org/policy

Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · 11d

End of week discovery (though I am likely late to this!) – the Knowledge Exchange Unit publishes a weekly round-up email of opportunities for the research community to engage with UK Parliament. Think inquiries open, training etc.

Super helpful! 👏

www.parliament.uk/get-involved...

Knowledge Exchange Unit

The Knowledge Exchange Unit supports the exchange of information and expertise between researchers and UK Parliament

www.parliament.uk

Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · 11d

Who should I contact pls?

Looking for local authority staff involved in safety, risks and hazards assessments of housing.

I need to pick brains re research findings on risks + hazards for neurodivergent children in local authority-provided Temporary Accommodation and/or social housing.

Thanks!

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

Shared Health Foundation @sharedhealthgm.bsky.social · 11d

An emotional and inspiring event earlier this month, celebrating the book launch of "Debt trap nation" by @kbrickell.bsky.social and Dr Mel Nowicki.

It is not families who are failing, families are being failed.

Find out more about the book and order now: debt-trap-nation.org/book

'Debt trap nation' book launch

YouTube video by Shared Health Foundation

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 11d

“As long as the logic of capital accumulation remains intact, technological innovation will continue to deepen, not alleviate, the social & ecological challenges we face.”

Polycrisis, or the ‘Madness of Economic Reason’ - @cacrisalves.bsky.social
www.versobooks.com/en-gb/blogs/...

Polycrisis, or the 'Madness of Economic Reason'

There could hardly be a more urgent moment to revisit David Harvey’s (2017) Marx, Capital and the Madness of Economic Reason. The economic rationality that has dominated the twenty-first century is no...

www.versobooks.com

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

People's Health Trust @peopleshealthtrust.bsky.social · 11d

We welcome the Renters’ Rights Act as a major step forward for renters’ health. However, without proper enforcement and faster implementation, the legislation risks falling short. We're calling for changes to be accelerated.

Read our response:
www.peopleshealthtrust.org.uk/news/stories...

Implementation of Renters Rights Act risks undermining excellent…

People's Health Trust responds to the Renters' Rights Act receiving Royal Assent, which is a major step forward for renters’ health. However, the Trust…

www.peopleshealthtrust.org.uk

Reposted by Roger Burrows, Brett Christophers, Katherine Brickell

Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 13d

Reply to some great comments on mine and Gavin Wood’s piece on #housing, the asset economy and a resurgence of rentier capitalism www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Reply to Comments on the Edges of Owner Occupation versus Rentier Capitalism

This piece replies to some fine scholarship from the six commentators who have taken up the pen in response to our focus article. We hope our reply does them justice and invites others to join the ...

www.tandfonline.com

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

UofGNews @uofgnews.bsky.social · 14d

Great to see Prof Hester Parr (@hesterparr.bsky.social) of @uofgges.bsky.social featured in this BBC News piece showcasing the Wintering Well project she leads with Prof Hayden Lorimer (@slipshodspeller.bsky.social) of the University of Edinburgh.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

How to cope with long winter nights when the clocks go back

More than a million people in the UK experience symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder - but a project is aiming to help people in Orkney look after their mental health.

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 17d

‘We are paying attention because of who she says her abusers were, not because of the abuse itself.’ Powerful piece from @rmcunliffe.bsky.social
www.newstatesman.com/comment/2025...

How the Prince Andrew saga overshadowed Virginia Giuffre’s tragic life

Amid the royal fallout, we should not forget Jeffrey Epstein’s victims

www.newstatesman.com

Reposted by Dave O’Brien, Les Back, Fabián Muniesa , and 2 more Dave O’Brien, Les Back, Fabián Muniesa, Bruno Cousin, Katherine Brickell

LSE Sociology @lsesociology.bsky.social · 17d

We're hiring an outstanding Assistant Professor whose core research is in the field of cultural sociology with demonstrable expertise in the sociology of #culture and #technology.

📅 Applications close Sunday 30 November 2025.

➡️ jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

Pete Apps @peteapps.bsky.social · 17d

I've tried to argue why I think the cut to affordable housing targets in London is a really terrible idea in a considered, rather than shouty, way here.

A clumsy patching up of a broken status quo:

open.substack.com/pub/peteapps...

A clumsy patching up of a broken system: Khan and Reed cut London's affordable housing targets

PLUS: leaked audio reveals a Clarion manager encouraging colleagues to produce fake evidence of displaying fire safety notices

open.substack.com

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

Phil Hubbard @gypjh2000.bsky.social · 17d

Im speaking about our small homes research in an UGRG
webinar about housing, gentrification and financialisation of property 31 October 1300-1400. cuhk.zoom.us/meeting/regi... #Housing #Inequality #Gentrification #planning @rgsibg.bsky.social

Note: Since your browser does not support JavaScript, you must press the Continue button once to proceed.

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

Social Housing Posts @uksocialhousing.bsky.social · 17d

‘Speechless': London council told NHS staff to stop writing letters supporting SEN kids moving to safer homes

www.mylondon.news/news/east-lo...

Council 'tells NHS staff to stop sending supporting letters over safer housing'

Hackney parents whose children have special educational needs and disabilities say they are shocked by the request seen in leaked emails

www.mylondon.news