The Significance of a Spare Room: Embracing London's Housing Challenge (Part 2)
Written by Melissa Pear
When we decided to start our lives together in London, we wanted a space to host people. Whether through meals, chats, or accommodation, we did so for many friends and family over the last five years. For some of us, this is easy and familiar territory.
Recently, we hosted a refugee who we met on Café Saturdays at Kxc. After many years, he finally received his refugee visa and was on his way to starting his life in the UK. However, the housing shortage in Kings Cross and Hackney means that in the short-term, he was in limbo because he could neither stay in the asylum hotels nor find long-term accommodation quickly enough. In other words, it was possible that he could be homeless.
We, therefore, decided to offer our spare room to give him some time to find long-term accommodation and want to share our experience below. We hope that by sharing our experience, we can encourage and challenge others to address this growing issue in our community.
Mi casa su casa (my house is your house)
You might be familiar with the Spanish saying “my house is your house”, a phrase we often use to convey hospitality or for guests to “make yourself at home”. However, the truth is “mi casa es la casa de Dios” (my house is God’s house) because it was only through God’s favour that we have the financial capacity to have a home with a spare room in Central London. When we recognise this, hosting someone who needs accommodation not only blesses the individual but is also an act of worship and acknowledges that God is the Provider of all things.
Every bit counts
We were worried that we’d be “bad hosts”. We both finished work late and we did not have the capacity to prepare meals or be present in our home. We also committed to hosting our families when they came to visit later in the year and on a practical level, it might be a little squishy with seven of us living in a two-bedroom flat.
To be clear, these are valid practical challenges to consider before hosting but we weighed these up against the opportunity to bless someone with a roof even if it is for a short period. We knew this would alleviate some pressure of finding long-term housing during a housing shortage.
Serving with proximity
Many public discussions affecting refugees and asylum seekers are on a macro level. However, hosting allowed us to witness and get close enough to the challenges facing refugees and asylum seekers. For example, how does one go about finding a job? What address should one use for DBS checks?
If we follow Jesus’ example, he lived, ate and walked alongside us. In other words, he served not from a distance but with proximity to all of us.
How you can help:
Hosting: If you’d like to know more about being a host or landlord (refugee letting scheme), please get in touch.
Pray: Lift up those without shelter in your prayers and speak with God about how you can contribute to positive change in your community.
Join the team: If you’re interested in getting involved with the wider Refugee Ministry then sign up here. You could also contact Naiha, a community advocate at KXC.
Stay tuned: Keep an eye out for more information and resources from KXC. You don't have to have everything figured out to get started; begin by having a think, praying, and starting the conversation with God. He will provide the people and the place.
Let's join together in growing a community where everyone has a place to call home, where generosity knows no bounds, and where the love of God is shared with those who need it most.