Heroes and home truths
C4, 9pm
SOUTHWARK Council in
South London is one of the biggest social landlords in the country, with more than 100,000 tenants and in excess of 1,000 staff working to help make their lives better, while fighting against budget cuts and growing pressure on their services.
Having a roof over your head is one of the things that many of us take for granted but for a lot of the people featured in this new documentary series it’s not as simple as that.
Filmed over many months, through the eyes of frontline council staff and residents, this is a revealing and sometimes shocking look at the state of social housing in Britain today, and the difficulties many people face in trying to find somewhere to call home.
We meet housing officer Charmaine, an impressively no-nonsense woman with a caseload of around 600 residents to look after.
And some are more problematic than others, like long-term resident Mr Braidwood and his, er, impressive and extensive ‘art collection’. And who, since he had his keys stolen, has taken to entering his fourth-floor flat by climbing on to the roof and going in through the window.
A Southwark Spider-man, if you will.
We also meet expert pest controller Andy – aka The Hunter – who has been doing his job for decades but, despite all the creepy crawlies, loves every minute.
It’s an enthusiasm he doesn’t quite manage to pass on to apprentice Lauren when she accompanies him on his rounds and is introduced to a stinky cockroach graveyard.